Ripples on the Xi River

“Will you be my girlfriend?” he blurted out, catching her completely off guard.

She opened her clear, watery eyes wide and stared at him, dazed, silly, and adorable. He gazed steadily back at her. “If we’re together, I’ll have a proper reason to come see you!”

“So you do have an ulterior motive,” she muttered.

And just like that, two people who had never been on the same wavelength fell in love.