What do you mean you think you have fallen in love with me? You are in love with me, you dumdum!

Have Love, Will Travel (Final)

I thanked my lucky stars when she returned empty-handed. She appeared calmer. But she was suddenly quiet. Disappointment was written all over her face. This was a different Suet-foong; I did not recognize her at all.

She sat down glancing at me. "How long will you be away?"

"At least a month," I replied. "I am facing the heat from the police for killing Song Jiao-ren. I have to disappear for a while until things cool off."

She shrugged, a half shrug actually, just her right shoulder. It lent an air of nonchalance to the gesture.

"Believe me, I really don't want to go but I've no choice," I continued. "I hope you'll understand."

"You don't have to explain everything to me," she said. "I don't know you that well. If you wish to go, then go; who am I to stop you?" Her words were cold, but her cracked voice betrayed her. Instantly, I knew her feelings for me ran deep as well and she was upset that I was leaving her, perhaps forever.

At that very moment I found myself on the horns of predicament - I had better come out with a win-win proposition for both of us quickly if I wanted  our love affair to last longer than tonight.There was a pause. Finally, a light bulb went off in my head and I said, "I'm planning to visit Hangzhou. And I dearly wish you to join me."

"Is that an invitation?"

I could see a glimmer of excitement in her voice. I was glad. Nodding, I replied, "Yes, please say you will accept."

"Why should I?"

"Because I think I've fallen in love with you."

I was expecting her to smile or perhaps blushed at my unexpected declaration. But she did neither. She frowned at me instead. Oh shit, did I goof again?

"What do you mean you think you have fallen in love with me?" she said, placing her hands on her slender waist. "You are in love with me, you dumdum!"

She took the words right out of my mouth - the dumdum part I mean.

The brainy one then looked fixedly at me with her big brown eyes which could take me away from this world. For several seconds she was lost in thought. The next thing I knew she shaking her head. "I don't think I can join you."

I was utterly disappointed. "Why? What's the matter?"

"When we go on a trip, we need to eat, we need a place to stay; I don't have any money for that," she explained. "Moreover, my business will be affected if I were to close my shop for a month."

"That is not a problem; I'll pick up the tab for the entire journey," I reassured her with a smile. Ambling over to my knapsack, I took out a bundle of bank notes and passed them to her. "And I believe two hundred dollars would cover your potential loss of income for the next thirty days or so."

"Goodness me, I've never held so much money in my life!" she said, looking at the dough in awe. "No, I can't take this."

"I insist. There are plenty more where they came from. Now put them in a safe place and let's go out for dinner. I'm starving."

"Well, if you so firmly say that I should have them, I suppose I must," she replied happily. "And thank you!" She got down on the floor, removed one of the wooden planks, and stashed the money underneath. I marveled at her ingenuity. If I were a thief, I would never think the loot is hidden under there.

Then, as she headed for the bathroom to freshen herself up, she asked, "Of all the places in China, why do you pick Hangzhou?"

"Oh, haven't you heard of this famous saying: in heaven there is paradise, on Earth there is Hangzhou?" I replied. "Here, the picturesque West Lake which is dotted with pagodas, temples, and pavilions, is also famous for the Lady White Snake legend. The love tale goes that a white snake came to the human world as she was longing for human life. She transformed herself into a beautiful woman and finally met the man of her dreams on a bridge in West Lake."

"We don't have to go all the way to Hangzhou to create our own love tale," she said, winking at me. "It has already begun here."

A new chapter begins on Tuesday!