There’s no need to wait until late at night. As soon as the evening breeze cools down a bit, it’s perfect to go out for a stroll with someone you like. You meet at the entrance of the sugar water shop at 7:30. He holds two cups of mung bean ice in his hands. When he sees you arrive, he hands you the one wrapped in oil paper: “I just bought it. It won’t melt too quickly.”
First, walk slowly along the riverside path. When you bite into the shaved ice, it makes a crunching sound and the sweet, cool taste spreads across your tongue. He will suddenly stop and point at the lotus lanterns on the river surface, saying, “Look, someone is releasing lanterns.” The dim light is reflected in the water, swaying gently with the ripples. Occasionally, a gentle evening breeze blows by, carrying the fragrance of lotus leaves. You tuck your hair behind your ears, and he casually smooths down your disheveled bangs that were ruffled by the wind.
He walked to the old ice cream stand at the street corner and bought two old-fashioned green bean ice creams. He sat on the stone bench nearby and bit into one. The ice cream was giving off cold air, colliding with the heat of the summer night. He took a bite of your ice cream and frowned, saying, “Yours is still sweeter.” You smiled and brought your ice cream to his mouth. Looking at his triumphant smile, you didn’t even mind the stickiness of the melting ice cream in your hand.
The sky was completely dark and the street lamps and stars lit up together. You were walking back and passed by a small stall selling firefly lanterns. He bought one and hung it on your bag. The warm yellow light flickered, like stars following you. When you were almost at your building, he said, “Shall we release lotus lanterns next week?” You nodded, looking into his eyes, which were softer than the stars in the sky.
It turns out that the romance of a summer night is never a grand surprise. Eating shaved ice and sucking on popsicles with the right person makes even the evening breeze taste sweet.