Hard to Escape Chapter 33 Part2

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.