【Across the Seine and Time】穿越塞纳河与时光

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On a chilly spring morning by the Seine River in Paris, a Chinese girl named Lin Xier, new to the city, was holding up her camera, capturing the quiet beauty of this romantic capital. She had come to Paris for a year-long exchange program. Her French was still shaky, and everything around her felt both fresh and a little intimidating.

That day, while ordering coffee at a corner café, a mispronunciation led to a misunderstanding with the staff. Embarrassed and unsure of what to do, a figure stepped forward from behind. Speaking fluent French, he helped smooth things over. His name was Mike, a British-French photographer raised in Paris. He handed her a warm cup of coffee with a gentle smile and a kindness that couldn’t be explained in words.

From that moment, their story slowly unfolded. Xier took him to try Chinese food, while he taught her how to read a Paris map. They discussed art on a bench in the Louvre and photographed each other’s silhouettes at sunset in Montmartre. Despite the language gap and cultural differences, they found themselves drawing closer through every shared experience.

But even the sweetest moments are not free from reality. As the semester came to an end, Xier had to return to China, where her family hoped she’d build a future. Mike, meanwhile, was preparing for his first photography exhibition and couldn’t leave Paris. On the bench beneath the Eiffel Tower, they spent their last night together. Resting on his shoulder, she listened as he whispered, “If fate separates us, I hope it also gives us a chance to meet again.”

After parting, they stayed in touch across time zones and distance. Two years later, at a photography exhibition in Zhejiang, Xier was stunned to see photos of the Paris they had once walked through together. The final piece showed her turning back with a smile along the Seine, titled: “Waiting for Your Return.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stood before it. When she turned around, she saw Mike walking toward her through the crowd, smiling. Love had never left—it was simply waiting for the right moment to return.

#story #lovestory #learnchinese #学中文 #听故事