Puri

4 | The Four People and a Rendezvous

"F-felipe," Sofia croaked, her eyes as wide as the full moon illuminating the riverbank. The coachman mirrored her expression.

"B-binibini," Felipe greeted with a bow. "What are you doing here?"

Funny how she wanted to ask him the same question. Then, she realized, she is a lady. She shouldn't be wandering alone at night.

And yet, this was not the first time she sneaked out. What's new is finding someone else other than Xiu on their meeting place.

"I-"

She was about to answer when a familiar voice of a man spoke behind her. His voice is cracking as if hurt. "Who are you with," the man asked.

Felipe's expression became more troubled than it already is. He's torn between dragging Lady Sofia out of the place or explaining to the man that he is not cheating on him.

Certainly not with his fiancée.

Too late, though. Because before Felipe was able to decide, Sofia turned around to see Antonio's pained expression. Confusion washed over his face after recognizing Sofia.

And as if the trio wasn't enough of a bewilderment, Yin Xiu ran to Sofia's side and protectively hid her behind their back.

"Qīn'ài de," Xiu called her 'sweetheart' in their language. "Are they bothering you?"

Sofia felt that her lover is ready to attack the two men. Xiu is trained with Kung Fu. It doesn't matter that Xiu is a woman under a man's clothes. They can put Antonio and Felipe down in two swift moves.

"No, no," she told Xiu. "I know them. We're just not expecting to see each other here."

Xiu loosened up but Sofia can feel that one wrong move from Antonio and/or Felipe is all they are waiting for to strike the two down. As annoyed as she was with Antonio a while ago, she didn't find the need to ask Xiu to beat him up. His jokes were harmless, afterall.

"A-are you..." Antonio started, but wasn't able to finish. He seems too confused to make out the words.

"He's your fiancé," Xiu said in Mandarin. Sofia can understand the language, because she learned it from reading and conversing with Xiu on a weekly basis.

"Yes," she answered in the same language. "Yes, he is."

"What is he doing here?" Xiu asked.

Sofia sighed. She does not have the answer. So she stepped out of Xiu's shade and faced Antonio. "May I speak with you?" she asked, motioning to a nearby tree.

Antonio eyed Yin Xiu. He cautiously moved towards where Sofia was pointing, stopping briefly in front of Felipe to give him a knowing look.

Sofia recognized that look. She just gave to Xiu a while ago at the market. Sofia is now certain that like her and Xiu, Antonio and Felipe are using this riverbank as their secret meeting place.