Yin Li clearly didn’t know what to make of this sudden spotlight . The Mexican couples near us danced with more vigor . It was as if dancing was in their blood . Their spirits were high, and it seemed as if they were challenging us to a dance off .

I copied their movements and shook my hips . At first, I didn’t quite let loose . But the music was too carefree and the atmosphere was too good . Soon, the movements came naturally . I freestyled some moves, added some steps, and incorporated some ballet movements . My dancing seemed strange . I had never danced so ungracefully and unconventionally before . The crowd whistled in admiration nonstop .

“I’m so happy . I’ve never been this happy before,” I said to Yin Li as I wrapped my arms around him .

“Your life is not just for dancing . There are many more beautiful things and feelings . ” Yin Li finally abandoned his stiff self and tried dancing like the Mexicans . Though it still came unnaturally to him, this was the first time I saw Yin Li like this . His s.h.i.+rt collar was unb.u.t.toned, and his hair stuck to his forehead from the sweat . He was full of energy . At this moment, he was s.e.xier than ever . We danced, our bodies sticking to each other . We could hear the heartbeat of the other person . We were young and free .

More and more people joined in on the dancing, and we clogged the street . Yin Li looked at me . We were like colliding spirits . We fixed our gazes upon each other and saw the dancing, the sweat, and the hormones . When we finally thought of returning to the diner to finish our meal, we had already been swept up in the crowd and drifted all the way to the plaza .  

In the plaza, there were more dancers and street performers . The street performers had spontaneously formed a impromptu band . Some performers wore Western clothing . As they played their violins, they appeared to have stepped out of a painting from centuries past . Other performers wore sombreros and traditional Mexican clothes . Everyone’s expressions were different, but they all mysteriously seemed to belong . Everyone looked happy .

In the plaza there were also girls wearing traditional Mexican dresses . They laughed and spun, with each twirl of their skirt flas.h.i.+ng a full and colorful arc . This was like a free concert . Yin Li and I danced . I loosened my hair tie and let my sweat and hair fly .

The warm, humid Mexican evening didn’t dampen the energy, colors, music, or dancing . The scene was unrestrained yet calm at the same time .  

The street peddler selling skirts smiled at me and waved me over . Two Mexican girls holding a bright red skirt leapt over to my side . They circled me, dancing . Their expression seemed to be a beckoning invitation .

I looked at Yin Li . He smiled without a trace of shadow . His expression was encouraging and indulging .

Under everyone’s encouragement, I put on the red skirt . All the girls wearing similar skirts and dresses pulled me into the center of the dancing crowd . They smiled, danced, and exchanged glances with me .  

The girl leading the dance walked to the center . She stood tall and proud, and started dancing . Her dancing was less refined than ballet dancing . She didn’t care for the precision of her movements . She only cared for the dancing itself . Through dancing, she expressed her joy, and she was confident in her ability to do so . Then, she began spinning round and round . She spun faster, and I could only see the blur of her hem . She was like a flowing circle .

As if receiving some sort of signal, the girls around her began spinning too . I saw the skirt hems all fly up like blossoming flowers .

This seemed to be a dream where I stood alone in a foreign dreamscape . Around me flowed infectious joy and flowing colors . We were different in all manners: skin color, physique, language, and even dancing style . But I was accepted by them . With joy and open arms, they took me in . My heart thumped and seemed to grow wings .  

Yin Li already retreated to one side . Against the night, his eyes were especially black and bright . He stood there, just like that . It was as if in his eyes, there was only me . He had nothing to do with the merriment and colors . His happiness was only me .

I lifted my chin and smiled at him proudly . Then, I lifted the hem of my skirt and rushed into the center of the dancing crowd . I danced, spun, and spun some more .

The demonic ballet training I had experienced gave me my sense of balance that I had today . I spun with the Mexican girls and saw my own red skirt fly open like a billowing flag staking my presence . It was as if my skirt had caught the wind . For the first time, I paid no heed to my steps . I simply let loose and danced . When all the other girls were tired, I was left spinning alone .

The crowd grew excited . The girls used their shoes to stamp out a wild rhythm on the plaza tiles . Still I spun .

This was entirely different from ballet . Ballet was calm and graceful, and its audience was cold and rational . They would only applaud at the appropriate moment . Yet, the dancing of this foreign street was different . There was no distance between me and the crowd . They could join in at any time . There was a chaos to it . And at this moment, I was in the middle of it .

I had never experienced this before . I tried not to restrain my emotions . I tried to refrain from acting out a character from a ballet . Rather, I tried to show my true self .

I caught the wind, the gazes of others, and myself .

The music continued, and I was the only one left dancing . I had already spun 40 to 50 circles, and almost surpa.s.sed the amount I normally did in my ballet training . I only saw a blur of color . Yet I could hear the roaring and clapping of the crowd .

Finally, at the height of all these sounds, I stopped .

Many Mexicans came to place garlands of flower around my neck . Many more took photos and videos of me . I was dizzy and could only give my best smile . Then, through the crowd, I saw Yin Li walk over .

He smiled charmingly . Then he hugged me, leaned over, and kissed me .

This was a deep, pa.s.sionate kiss . The crowd burst into cheers .

“I love you . You can’t abandon me for any sort of dance . ” Yin Li’s voice was low . “Before you belonged to the stage and the audience, you belonged to me . ”

I ferociously pressed back against his lips, and returned the kiss and hug .

The world wasn’t fair to me . For ballet, I had dedicated my life, yet I still chose to die . Then, I lost my memories and was deceived . The past had been a foggy, dim period . I went through tumultuous emotional ups and down, and life was never carefree . I was seemingly never treated with gentle kindness . The world treated me coa.r.s.ely and harshly . For dance, I had suffered numerous fractured bones and bruises . A dancer’s life was always accompanied by nerve block injections and persistence .

Yin Li and I were escorted back to the diner by a friendly local . But the restaurant owner refused to take our money . The young men and pa.s.sersby all recognized us for our flamboyant display of affection . We were not the typical low-key foreigners . As they pa.s.sed us, they all warmly called out, “Hola!”

The restaurant owner sent us complimentary tequilas . Those still at the diner raised their gla.s.ses to us . Other than the locals, there were also other Westerners . Regardless, everyone’s expression was warm .

I downed the tequila in one shot . A burning sensation traveled down my throat to my stomach . Yin Li once again kissed me to his heart’s content . He tasted of tequila .

Outside, the Mexican night was dry and hot . In the distance, one could see a swathe of lights s.h.i.+ning through the night .

Sometimes I resented all the pain I had experienced and hated my past self who chose the easy way out . But at this moment, I forgave the world—and myself .