From Reel to Real

XV. Hualien 6

There was a soft knock on her door. She was already awake and sitting on her bed, stretching. When she got up to open it, Dylan was standing there looking dashing in his blue hoodie. "Good morning. Want to go for a bike ride?"

Yue smiled. "You mean, right now?"

Dylan nodded. "I told Zi Xin that I will buy breakfast for everyone today. We can check out the local market too."

"I'll be ready in 5 minutes!"

"Wait Yue." He looked around. With a swift move, he pulled her close and hugged her tight. "I woke up thinking last night was a dream. Holding you like this now...." he breathed in her hair "...I know it's all real."

His words filled her heart with fullness. She snuggled into his chest. "Wang He Di, you can't escape from me so easily."

"Same with you, Shen Yue. Now, go get ready!" He grinned and kissed her forehead.

She smiled at him before hurried back into her room to change. Her scuffling around the room, woke Jia Qi, who sat on her bed watching her.

"Morning, Yue. What's the excitement?"

Yue smiled. "Dylan asked me out for a bike ride."

"Hmmm...is that why you did not come back to bed last night?" Jia Qi teased her.

Yue blushed. "I crept in at 2am and you were fast asleep." She went over and whispered in Jia's ears "Last night we confessed to each other!"

"Oh my God!!! You really did it. I'm so happy for you!" They both held hands and jumped around in circles.

"I will talk to you later. Or else Didi will nag me."

Dylan was waiting for her downstairs by the bike. "Hey, what took you so long? You said 5 minutes."

"Sorry I chatted a little with Jia." She stopped to look at him. "Wait, Didi, aren't you wearing a mask?" Yue asked.

"Tsk..this is Hualien. No one will stalk us, Yue." He grinned.

"I'm not sure about that. You know how many bazillion fans you have out there who are watching you like vultures."

"Hey relax, today is our first day together. Let's just go with the flow."

"Well, I'm wearing if you are not. I don't want to be a liability to you." She said, while putting her mask on, before taking the helmet from him

"You already are!" He yelped as she kicked him. "Hop on, little girl!"

She sat comfortably on the back seat and put her hands by the side of the bike.

Dylan frowned. "Give me your hands."

"NO."

"Aren't you my girlfriend now?" She was still not budging so he grabbed both her hands and put around his waist.

"From now onwards, these hands are where they belong. Around me. Not Thomas or some other gwai lao."

She giggled. "I like it when you are jealous."

"Don't put me through that again, Yue. Now, hug me tight!" he smiled.

It was a short ride from the villa to the local market. The market was traditional one with stalls selling fresh and dry produce. At that early hour, it was bustling with people and food! Yue was eager to try everything and kept buying the local delicacies while Dylan tried to stop her.

"There's too much sweet food. We need something solid for them," he complained. 

"Jia likes sweet foods. This one is for Hua-jie. Oh, Grandpa Han would like this cha kuey! Let's get peanut ice-cream!" she said, excitedly, pulling his shirt sleeve. Dylan groaned.