Loving With My Mind

"Woohoo!!!" Aside from flying aircrafts, Zhao Mingzhe also enjoyed skydiving. Bungee jumping is a bit on the normal side of activities for him.

As if time stopped, Han Yixin stood there, dazed.

Memories came rushing in her head amidst the strong winds blowing on the tower.

.

Four years ago, a tanned Caucasian appeared before her at the school grounds after she just finished her practical examination.

"Bonjour!" he greeted.

He jumped from a tree branch and landed before her face.

She was startled, but brushed it off. She pursed her lips and nodded subtly. Then she moved aside to continue walking towards the direction of her dorm.

Then he intercepted her again. "Ne parle pas Francais?* English then?" He beamed a bright smile on her.

She kept mum and just looked up at him.

"I'm Desmond." He offered his hand to shake.

.

Her next flashback was the smile, looking at her, before he made his way up the diving platform.

Before execution, he waved subtly at her place in the audience.

After multiple somersaults and a twist, there was a watersplash and the scores were up on the board.

The he waved back at her smiling from the water.

After the awards ceremony, Desmond approached her.

"Pretty cool, huh?" He waved his gold to catch her attention.

Han Yixin had a subtle smile. "Congratulations." she sounded diplomatic.

"Thanks! Shall we celebrate?" He looked at her, who was ready to refuse. "Maxine, I won't take a 'next time' for this one." he persuaded her.

Han Yixin sighed and nodded in surrender. He had called her to go out multiple times already, all of which she refused. He cannot pronounce her real name properly so he gave her an English name.

.

Her flashbacks were all about this man.

"Hey Maxine, you don't have anything this summer break, right?"

"Huh? What's with you?" Gradually, she learnt to casually converse with the man.

He took a sip from his glass of whiskey. After he gulped, he said, "I passed the prelimenaries for the international cliff diving competition. Can you watch?" He was nervous.

"International? My visa would only..."

"I'll handle the papers..." he said with determination. Then, his face lit up as if realizing something. "You're going?! You're really gonna watch me?" He was more excited than a dog whose owner is wagging a bone in his face.

She had a subtle laugh. "Yeah." she confirmed.

She saw him dive from cliffs of about 30 feet, some starting from platforms assembled, some directly off the edge of the cliff itself.

She became tan with him as they went from tropical islands to southern seaside all summer.

He was on the third spot for the final event of the tournament.

They arrived in the competition area early morning.

Before he went to the zipline towards the jump point, he looked at her, might have been the most serious expression his face could make, and grabbed her shoulders.

She looked back at him, eyes wide.

He took a deep breath, even deeper than before he dives off from cliffs of several meters high.

She subtly shuddered. She became nervous all of a sudden.

"Han...Han Yixin..." he tried his best to call out her real name.

"Hmmn?" She tilted her head a little.

"If...if I win this tournament, can...can you promise to be my girlfriend?" he asked, as he blushed thoroughly.

She was shocked, gaping.

"Uhm, don't! I...I'd rather not hear it!" he suddenly exclaimed. "I'll dive first, then...then you can answer!" He tapped on her head lightly and went up the zipline start point.

She was a bit dazed for awhile, but then she had a sweet smile when she sat with the audience and waited for his turn.

She clapped with them as the other contestants splashed into the raging waves.

Then finally, his turn came.

He still smiled at her, one of the cameras also focused on her.

Then he jumped off with a twist, then a somersault, and a half twist.

People clapped.

However, Han Yixin bolted up from her seat.

Safety divers were panicking.

The organizers were alarmed as well.

After about a minute, two safety divers supported the contestant, one pulled him into the boat.

At that moment, Han Yixin felt the world stopped.

.

"Xiao Xin...Han Yixin!" Zhao Mingzhe grabbed her shoulders and shook her. His wife was not responding after he came back to her side after his jump.

She kept being in a daze.

He cupped her cheeks with both hands. She felt cold. "Yixin..." his voice was almost begging.

Since she was not responding, they took off their harnesses and Zhao Mingzhe carried his wife until they descended the tower and into the car waiting for them.

The staff of the tower recognized the emergency that no one bothered with the certificates anymore.

Midway to the hospital, Han Yixin seemed like she was coming out of her dream.

"You..." she whispered.

Zhao Mingzhe noticed that she was finally making eye contact, but he could not understand her whisper.

"Stop the car!" he ordered.

The driver immediately stopped the car on the side of the road.

He twisted his body to better face her.

"Xiao Xin...you...are you hurt somewhere?!" his handsome face was almost distorted, filled with worry.

"You...you're alive..." she said softly as she smiled. A tear fell from her eye.

"Uh...yeah..." Zhao Mingzhe was shocked. It was as if she thought he died in that jump.

She suddenly reached out to touch his face.

"Why...why did you have to bet your life for a stupid reason?! Why were you all planning to throw everything away just for something so stupid! I...I...I don't wanna get blamed anymore!" she cried really hard.

Zhao Mingzhe was shocked. 'You all?' he was so confused, but curious. What did this girl had to go through before he met her?

He instinctively hugged her tightly as she continued to cry.

"I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said something like that! It was stupid of me! I...I will never bet my safety like that again...Han Yixin, I will never leave you. I'll always be here. I promise."

The driver closed his eyes. His Young Master humbled himself for the Young Madam again.

"Uncle, drive back to the hotel." Zhao Mingzhe told the driver.

The driver opened his eyes and drove off.