"Professor." Zhu Li Qiang waved his hand at the lady that was standing behind the podium on the stage as the guests and audiences gradually emptied the symposium hall at Rutherford University in Canada.
"Oh, you"re here! What a pleasant surprise!" Teng Man Rui waved back and spoke through the microphone in front of her at the podium before she paced towards the man at the back of the hall, through the graduated steps upward. The stage was located at the bottom and center, at the lowest part of the hall.
"Of course! I wouldn"t miss your lecture, for all the world! You"ve been ignoring me these past few days for it! It better be worth it." He smirked, but planted a congratulatory, welcoming kiss on her cheek and wrapped one arm around her waist when they finally met near the entrance of the hall. He handed her the bouquet of flowers that were intended solely for her. She accepted and giggled as she relished the special treatment.
"So, is it worth it?"
"It is. You did a great job. It was awesome."
"Tss..." Teng Man Rui rolled her eyes at the man who"s trying to curry her favor.
Finally.
Finally, Zhu Li Qiang and Teng Man Rui ended up together. Currently, they were six months into their freshly concluded simple marriage.
There was no drama whatsoever, just pure austerity. It was the what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of relations.h.i.+p. It wasn"t clingy nor demanding. Just the right flavor.
So even if Zhu Li Qiang whined that the lady ignored him while she prepared for her lecture, in truth, it was no big deal, and Teng Man Rui knew it.
Nonetheless, she apologized for neglecting the only man in his life, or if she made him feel that way.
"Sorry, sorry! Now that my presentation is finished, my attention is all yours. I"m all yours!" She amorously retorted while caressing Zhu Li Qiang"s cheek with her palm.
Truly, sometimes, prayers are answered at the right time, and perseverance simply pays off – still at the right time.
True love wins, and time would help those who know how to let go.
"Great! I booked our tickets for our flight home. The Chen wedding is getting near."
For a brief second, Teng Man Rui"s eyes flickered with what seemed to be like anxiety. The gentleman did not fail to notice. "Are you sure you"re ready to go back? Just say so. You are more important than anything. We can just tell them an excuse."
For five long years since her departure, Teng Man Rui had never set foot again in Beijing nor in any part of her home country. Their flight back home this time would be the first chance to return.
"Yes." Was her curt response, paired with a rea.s.suring smile. The couple went out of the symposium hall together and drove out of the university and to the restaurant where they had reservations for that night"s dinner.
After Teng Man Rui left five years ago, she felt the strong urge to revamp herself, and reinvent her future and dreams. She returned to school and took her master"s degree in Archaeological Studies. At first, it seemed not related to her field in arts and pottery, but after all of her experiences, she found herself fascinated by and drawn into how artifacts once played a role – perhaps small, perhaps significant enough – to different cultures and people long gone.
It was such a fresh start for her and it did her good. No one from her past had crossed her path for a good two years.
Indeed, she readily put all of her past behind her.
When she finished the master"s course, she started providing lectures and consultancy about her expertise - pottery - but not limited to, at Rutherford University and joined field excursions across the globe.
During those times, she preferred donning just plain b.u.t.toned-up long-sleeved s.h.i.+rts, sometimes plaid, sometimes just plain, and paired with simple trousers and humungous field boots. Sometimes, a khaki field vest with several pockets would be placed on top. Her hair would be tied in a low ponytail, always s.h.i.+ny but also most of the time with settled dust from the long road trips in field jeepneys or trucks some other mode of transportation native to their current location.
Their group went to South America, Africa, Italy and the Mediterranean, and visited museums and met with curators and amba.s.sadors and other government officials related to art and culture preservation.
She remained the simple and down-to-earth yet elegant woman that she used to, but her life had turned into a more exciting and adventurous one.
And d.a.m.n, she enjoyed every bit of it.
At night her team would sometimes drink together around a bonfire when they were in the middle of the vast, barren wilderness and disclose their dreams and hopes. Most of the time, she would be dismissive when her turn to share came, with a commentary in the lines of, "I"ve already lived my life. I"m done with it. I just want to take pleasure in whatever"s remaining of it and what life still wants to throw at me."
At this extremely serious comment for a jovial, casual night party, she always got teased in response, "You"re not even thirty yet. How can you say you"ve lived your life already?"
At this Teng Man Rui would simply smile enigmatically, bow her head while thinking to herself: "I"ve been engaged thrice, almost got married twice, finally got married, conceived, had a child, and lost it very soon afterward, and at barely thirty, got divorced. I"ve had my fair share in life. I betrayed and got betrayed, fell in and out of love, and got hurt in the process. I"m done with it."
She kept quiet to herself during these rowdy dinners, with such sad thoughts in her mind.
Until one fateful day when her group was in Peru, she tumbled upon Zhu Li Qiang who was at that time, with his own group of tourists.
He, too, had been trying his best to cheer up from his life"s demise.
It was like the first time they met except that they knew each other this time around. No more mistaken ident.i.ties and no more circuitous routes.
Both of their groups were sauntering freely in the market place when they met by chance. At first, they were speechless. Their bodies reacted first as both their lips curled upward with a pleasant hint of a smile, eyes sparkled with delight and fingers pointed at each other discerningly.
"Oh?"
After all, what are the odds that the two of them would meet in Peru? What are the odds that both of them would be in the same exact location at the perfect time?
Zhu Li Qiang did not waste the opportunity and invited the lady for a cup of coffee, as was promised and agreed upon the last time they saw each other. Remembering it, the lady obliged.
The rest, after that, was history. Zhu Li Qiang did not press too hard, not wanting to give Teng Man Rui any pressure, but the pursuit had started from that afternoon of sharing a cup of coffee and exchange of tales and laughter.
It took another two years for them to finally tie the knot and settle down in Canada.
Now happy in their own married life, they want to wish another couple all the happiness in their upcoming wedding.
That"s the reason they would be coming back to Beijing after several years.