Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 35 - 34 Overjoyed but Unable to Breathe

Considering that Qi Yi was leaving tonight, Yan Yan didn’t insist on going to Grill’d for a burger right away, since having lunch before ten o’clock really wasn’t quite ordinary.

If they had two more days, Yan Yan thought it would be a rather nice choice to spend a bit more time at Brunetti’s dessert shop.

But Qi Yi was leaving tonight, and who knew if he would ever come back to Melbourne.

She really should take Qi Yi to the places he wanted to visit.

Free tram, State Library, and the cinema at Melbourne Central Station, they were all along the same line.

First, watch an early movie, then take Qi Yi to the library he expressed a special desire to visit this morning, and afterwards, hop onto the free City Circle tram at Melbourne Central Station on Swanston Street, Melbourne’s busiest commercial pedestrian street, to take a tour around the city center.

Lazily enjoy the scenery, and if there are "famous attractions" they want to visit, they can get off and tour around.

After touring, they can get back on the following City Circle tram to continue to the next "attraction."

Wanting to watch a movie was something that could be easily incorporated into today’s itinerary.

.........

Qi Yi had a completely opposite opinion from Yan Yan’s regarding the Half Pipe theater inside the cinema on top of Melbourne Central Station, which Yan Yan called especially tacky.

Qi Yi thought the designer of the Half Pipe cinema was simply a genius.

Couple seats were nothing compared to the Half Pipe; they were just weak.

If one really had to add the word "couple," this kind of seat could only be described as a "couple’s bed" – the two people were completely nestled together watching the movie.

Seats like the Half Pipe were simply adored by those in love, blooming wherever they went.

Qi Yi was glad Yan Yan didn’t understand why people liked these seats; it meant Yan Yan hadn’t been dating anyone in Melbourne.

Otherwise, she would have definitely realized the purpose of such seats.

But after the movie started, Qi Yi began to feel a bit of regret.

He still had so much to say to Yan Yan, and after accumulating five years of words, even days and nights of talking wouldn’t be enough, let alone since he was leaving tonight.

Yet, they couldn’t chat while watching a movie.

Moreover, Qi Yi had never been handsy with Yan Yan before, not even holding hands during their silly sophomore year.

Now, Qi Yi lying on the Half Pipe beside Yan Yan, watching the movie, he wanted to do something, but also felt a strange sensation of "coveting without daring."

Especially now, when his relationship with Yan Yan was completely unclear.

To clearly define their relationship at the moment, even with Qi Yi’s intelligence, he couldn’t find an answer on the spot.

A great opportunity just wasted away.

The timing was wrong, despite the great seats.

Qi Yi couldn’t remember at all what was in the movie they had just seen.

.........

After the early movie, Yan Yan checked the time – it was just 11:40 am.

"Wow, exactly twelve hours left until the plane takes off, we should do something to celebrate."

"Celebrate the plane’s imminent departure? Are you that eager for me to vanish?"

"Eh, my bad, I should say commemorate it."

"How do we commemorate?"

"Of course, go to Nando’s for an Extra Hot Peri-Peri Chicken first, then head to Boost for a Passion Mango smoothie to cool the heat. It’s the lunch combo I’m most likely to have in my everyday life. I must take you to try it." When Yan Yan mentioned Nando’s, she excitedly perked up like a child. (Note 1)

"Is eating all that’s left in your life?" Qi Yi looked at Yan Yan with a hint of amusement, "How come I never realized before that you were so enthusiastic about food?"

"Eh, then what did you realize I was enthusiastic about before?" Yan Yan countered.

"Before, I only noticed your enthusiasm for me," Qi Yi stated solemnly.

"Um... uh... ah... alright, you’re handsome, whatever you say is right." With Qi Yi leaving soon, Yan Yan just couldn’t bring herself to say anything too harsh.

Qi Yi really enjoyed chatting with Yan Yan so comfortably and happily like now.

Qi Yi felt their renewed conversation was great; there was none of the alienation that should have been there between two people who hadn’t spoken for five years.

The only thing that could upset Qi Yi at the moment was one question: he was going back home soon, but did he and Yan Yan still have a future?

"I thought I wouldn’t encounter you at all this trip, which is why I changed my ticket from the day after tomorrow to tonight.

After rebooking my flight, I miraculously ran into you.

I originally thought the ticket could be changed again, which is why I said I would probably leave in two or three days.

But I didn’t expect that after changing it, I couldn’t change it back.

I’m sorry I can’t join you at the tram restaurant tomorrow.

I didn’t mean to leave at this time."

If there were a regret medicine, Qi Yi certainly wouldn’t have changed his flight.

In the morning, when Qi Yi asked Yan Yan all those questions, he was indeed very angry; he had been pondering over those questions for a long time.

But after he asked them, Qi Yi suddenly lost all his anger.

Initiating a breakup didn’t mean the person who proposed it felt any less hurt.

Reuniting after a long separation should have been joyful.

Why was Qi Yi feeling this way now?

While being really happy, he also felt so melancholic that he couldn’t breathe.

.........

Note 1:

Nando’s originated in Johannesburg, South Africa, founded by Portuguese, and is a Portuguese-style chicken restaurant using Southeast African Pili-Pili peppers for its sauce.

Due to the Portuguese pronunciation, Pili Pili eventually became Peri Peri.

Nando’s offers four flavors of Peri Peri chicken: Herb and Lemon, Medium, Hot, and Extra-hot.

There are also four types of sauces, available in supermarkets in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Xiao Mo just wants to say, it’s really delicious, so delicious that the restaurant logo is a crying chicken.

It’s so good that even the chickens are moved to tears by their own deliciousness.

So good that Xiao Mo wants to add a little skit about it in today’s author’s note.

Not much to say about Boost, as it’s already in Hong Kong. But only the Australian native Boost is truly haunting, perhaps due to the fruit itself.

Passion Mango is a mixed fruit juice with passion fruit and mango as the main ingredients.

Fresh fruit plus special yogurt, juiced and blended on site.

Can’t fit any more notes, Xiao Mo is off to get a drink.