Knowing full well of the exploitation, yet finding joy in it nonetheless.

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Those warm, concerned words instantly drew my attention away, and only a moment later did I realize with surprise that Musa already knew my name.

I instinctively covered part of my face and said, “I’m not sick. I just ate something bad last night and upset my stomach. It’s nothing serious.”

Musa did not answer at once, nor did he offer any further expression of concern. He merely glanced down at his watch and said, “There are still ten minutes before class. You two talk. I’ll step out for a while.”

With that, Musa turned and left. Ayyub seemed to think that we had reached an understanding, and perhaps because a man in a white robe and a foreign woman ought not to spend too much time alone together, he returned to his seat in the back row.

I habitually sat near the front of the classroom. There were three other Chinese students in our class, all male. Of the three, I was closest to Jiayi. We had both come to Dubai through our universities’ overseas exchange programs. Strictly speaking, I had met him because of Lian Pian.

Jiayi had been secretly in love with Lian Pian since high school. He had pursued her all the way to the same university, where he finally gathered the courage to confess his feelings. Unfortunately, although he loved her, she felt nothing for him. Lian Pian simply did not like his type and rejected him without a moment’s hesitation. Yet Jiayi was extraordinarily persistent. He rose after every defeat, and after graduating from university, he followed Lian Pian to Dubai. Those of us watching from the sidelines could not help but envy such devotion.

More than once, I had told Lian Pian that Jiayi was a fine man, with good character and a pleasant disposition. More importantly, he was considerate and devoted—a person worth cherishing. But she had never taken my words to heart.

“Jiayi is too honest,” she said. “I like romance and extravagance.”

During the two days since we arrived in Dubai, Lian Pian had completely forgotten the Jiayi who had followed her there. She even deliberately refused to answer his calls. Jiayi, for his part, seemed accustomed to waiting silently by her side and had stopped pursuing her so relentlessly.

At that moment, the hapless Jiayi was sitting behind me to the right. He lightly patted my shoulder and asked bluntly, “Min Xixi, how has Lian Pian been these past two days?”

His feelings for Lian Pian had long since ceased to be a secret, so I granted his concern an honest answer.

“She’s doing quite well. She’s practically fallen in love with Dubai. She says this is the city of her dreams.”

Jiayi paused slightly, seeming somewhat melancholy. Then a faint, satisfied smile spread across his face, and he let out a breath.

“That’s good.”

Watching the subtle changes in his expression, I could not help sighing inwardly. He was a good man, and his feelings were sincere—but Lian Pian did not love him. What could anyone do about that?

I lowered my head, took out my notebook, and placed it on the desk. Just as I was about to open it, a hand suddenly appeared before my eyes. Long, strong, and finely knuckled, it gently set a white bottle on my notebook. Before I could understand what was happening, the white-robed figure had already turned and walked away without saying a word.

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What did this mean? Confused, I was just about to stand and ask him when I saw that the teacher had already entered the lecture hall and was beginning the lesson with great enthusiasm.

With no choice but to wait, I picked up the white bottle in bewilderment and tried to decipher the writing on its label. After a long passage of unfamiliar Arabic script, I finally found the English instructions: oral medication for treating diarrhea, soothing the stomach and intestines, and aiding recovery after diarrhea.

A warm current rose gently through my heart. I had never imagined that he had hurried away merely to go downstairs and buy medicine for me. We had met only briefly twice the day before, yet he had been so thoughtful. Once again, he had overturned my impression of Middle Eastern men.

But the moment that thought arose, I ruthlessly dismissed it. After all, Musa had clearly been displeased with me because of yesterday’s sanitary-pad incident. The only reason he had gone out of his way to buy me medicine today was probably that he and Ayyub had conspired to make me take care of their coursework for them.

Even knowing that, however, I still could not stop a faint thread of joy from spreading through my heart.

!!

Those warm, concerned words instantly drew my attention away, and only a moment later did I realize with surprise that Musa already knew my name.

I instinctively covered part of my face and said, “I’m not sick. I just ate something bad last night and upset my stomach. It’s nothing serious.”

Musa did not answer at once, nor did he offer any further expression of concern. He merely glanced down at his watch and said, “There are still ten minutes before class. You two talk. I’ll step out for a while.”

With that, Musa turned and left. Ayyub seemed to think that we had reached an understanding, and perhaps because a man in a white robe and a foreign woman ought not to spend too much time alone together, he returned to his seat in the back row.

I habitually sat near the front of the classroom. There were three other Chinese students in our class, all male. Of the three, I was closest to Jiayi. We had both come to Dubai through our universities’ overseas exchange programs. Strictly speaking, I had met him because of Lian Pian.

Jiayi had been secretly in love with Lian Pian since high school. He had pursued her all the way to the same university, where he finally gathered the courage to confess his feelings. Unfortunately, although he loved her, she felt nothing for him. Lian Pian simply did not like his type and rejected him without a moment’s hesitation. Yet Jiayi was extraordinarily persistent. He rose after every defeat, and after graduating from university, he followed Lian Pian to Dubai. Those of us watching from the sidelines could not help but envy such devotion.

More than once, I had told Lian Pian that Jiayi was a fine man, with good character and a pleasant disposition. More importantly, he was considerate and devoted—a person worth cherishing. But she had never taken my words to heart.

“Jiayi is too honest,” she said. “I like romance and extravagance.”

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During the two days since we arrived in Dubai, Lian Pian had completely forgotten the Jiayi who had followed her there. She even deliberately refused to answer his calls. Jiayi, for his part, seemed accustomed to waiting silently by her side and had stopped pursuing her so relentlessly.

At that moment, the hapless Jiayi was sitting behind me to the right. He lightly patted my shoulder and asked bluntly, “Min Xixi, how has Lian Pian been these past two days?”

His feelings for Lian Pian had long since ceased to be a secret, so I granted his concern an honest answer.

“She’s doing quite well. She’s practically fallen in love with Dubai. She says this is the city of her dreams.”

Jiayi paused slightly, seeming somewhat melancholy. Then a faint, satisfied smile spread across his face, and he let out a breath.

“That’s good.”

Watching the subtle changes in his expression, I could not help sighing inwardly. He was a good man, and his feelings were sincere—but Lian Pian did not love him. What could anyone do about that?

I lowered my head, took out my notebook, and placed it on the desk. Just as I was about to open it, a hand suddenly appeared before my eyes. Long, strong, and finely knuckled, it gently set a white bottle on my notebook. Before I could understand what was happening, the white-robed figure had already turned and walked away without saying a word.

What did this mean? Confused, I was just about to stand and ask him when I saw that the teacher had already entered the lecture hall and was beginning the lesson with great enthusiasm.

With no choice but to wait, I picked up the white bottle in bewilderment and tried to decipher the writing on its label. After a long passage of unfamiliar Arabic script, I finally found the English instructions: oral medication for treating diarrhea, soothing the stomach and intestines, and aiding recovery after diarrhea.

A warm current rose gently through my heart. I had never imagined that he had hurried away merely to go downstairs and buy medicine for me. We had met only briefly twice the day before, yet he had been so thoughtful. Once again, he had overturned my impression of Middle Eastern men.

But the moment that thought arose, I ruthlessly dismissed it. After all, Musa had clearly been displeased with me because of yesterday’s sanitary-pad incident. The only reason he had gone out of his way to buy me medicine today was probably that he and Ayyub had conspired to make me take care of their coursework for them.

Even knowing that, however, I still could not stop a faint thread of joy from spreading through my heart.

!!

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