Marius stood before the newly installed Christmas tree along the Pasig River Esplanade. It wasn’t much, thin strings of lights, tinsel glinting weakly under the dying sun, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Children laughed as a man in an inflatable snowman costume danced clumsily, parents kneeling with phones out, angling for the perfect shot. The air was warm with fried food, exhaust, and the faint sweetness of the halo-halo stand nearby.

  Footsteps approached from behind. Marius turned to see Rina, her bright clothes catching the last streaks of light, a study in sharp lines and color amid the easy chaos of the crowd. She held two cups of halo-halo on her hands, holding one out for Marius.

  Marius takes the cup. “看来你是对halo-halo上瘾了。” (“It would seem you’ve gone addicted to halo-halo.”)

  “怎么能不上瘾，这么好吃的东西就该天天吃。加上那个快乐蜂炸鸡” (“How would I not, something this good must be eaten every day, and that Jollibee fried chicken.”) Rina says as she takes a big spoon full of the ice cream on top.

  She gazes up at the Christmas tree. “这圣诞树…感觉没有昨天那座商场里的圣诞树华丽呢。” (“This Christmas Tree… it doesn’t feel as grand as the one we saw in the mall yesterday.”)

  Marius smiled. “华不华丽不重要，看看，这里不还是照样热闹。” (“Doesn’t matter if its grand or not, look around, the place is still very lively.”)

  Rina looked around, her gaze softening as children ran past, and smiles. “菲律宾人的圣诞快乐还真是如此简单呢。” (“Filipinos’ Christmas cheer can be so simple.”)

  They began walking slowly down the esplanade. A busker’s guitar drifted through the crowd, singing a Tagalog Christmas song that blended with the sound of traffic from the bridge. Marius scooped a spoonful of halo-halo, the ice crunching faintly between his teeth.

  “你来菲律宾度假，什么地方都能去，偏偏要来马尼拉。” (“You could have gone anywhere in the Philippines for your vacation, literally anywhere, yet you just had to insist on Manila.”)

  Rina laughed, her earrings catching light. “海滩、山、火山，到处都有。可像马尼拉这样的城市，全世界只有一个。过去这一周我玩得很开心啊，尤其是你做导游的时候。你一直警告我这城市有多糟，可我没看到啊。” (“Beaches, mountains, volcanoes, they’re everywhere. But places like Manila are one of a kind. I’ve had a lot of fun this past week, especially with you as my tour guide. You keep warning me how terrible Manila is, but I just don’t see it.”)

  “那是因为你不了解马尼拉。” (“That’s because you don’t know Manila the way I do.”)

  “那也没关系啊，” She says，“我只是个游客。对我来说，这里城市，这里的人民关怀，可漂亮了。就算有点脏，但也漂亮。” (“Doesn’t matter, I’m just a tourist here, and to me, this city, its people, is very beautiful. It’s a bit grimy, but beautiful nonetheless.”)

  Marius tilted his head toward her, faint amusement tugging at his lips. “再怎么漂亮也肯定比不上你的家乡京都吧？” (“Surely it can’t compete with your hometown Kyoto.”)

  Rina looked toward the sunset, where the gold had deepened into purple. “当然比不上。这对比不公平啊。京都是我的家乡，对我来说它永远是特别的。就像马尼拉对你一样永远会特别，即使你没有在这里长大，而我也没在京都长大。” (“Of course it can’t. But that’s unfair to compare, Kyoto is my home town, and will always be my home town. To me it will always be special. Just like Manila will always be special to you, even if you didn’t grow up here, and I didn’t in Kyoto.”)

  Marius watched the river shimmer under the fading light. “也许吧。” (“Perhaps.”)

  They continued walking, the sky dimming fast, the last traces of pink fading into violet. The ornamental lights of the esplanade flickered to life along the Pasig River, their reflections trembling on the darkening water.

  A group of children in tattered clothing approached, holding out sampaguita garlands and small trinkets, their voices overlapping “Sir, ma’am, bili na po!” (“Sir, ma’am, buy some stuff!”) Marius frowned, waving them off gently. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed their bodyguards, four men in plain clothes, straighten, eyes sharp, hands at their sides. The kids, sensing no sale, drifted away toward another cluster of people. Marius gave the guards a nod to stand down.

  Marius checked his pockets out of habit. Beside him, Rina only smiled, a light laugh escaping her lips.

  “笑什么呢，万一钱包或什么贵重物品被偷了怎么办。” (“What are you laughing it, what if a wallet or something precious was stolen.”)

  “没事，我有你在保护我呢。这星期我们逛了那么多地方，市区郊区，甚至是我们参观的那个大坝，有你在我都没觉得哪里不安全呢。” (“It’s fine, I have you protecting me. With you around I didn’t feel unsafe anywhere we visited this week, whether its in the city centers or the suburbs or even up in that dam we visited.”)

  Marius exhaled, half amused, half resigned. “那也不能把我和保安们的辛苦当作理所当然啊。” (“But you still really shouldn’t take me and our guards’ efforts for granted.”)

  Rina laughed again, her voice soft and unhurried, her face catching the last ember of sunset, radiating a glow like a second sunset. “好啦，我只是说笑啦，我当然知道你们有多辛苦。谢谢燕丰的关心。” (“All right, I’m just kidding. I know how hard you’re working. Thank you Yanfeng for caring this much.”)

  She looped her arm through his, the halo-halo cups now little more than melting ice. Marius felt his cheeks warm despite the evening breeze.

  “额，辛苦是应该的，我可不敢想象秋山集团的千金小姐在菲律宾遇到困难会有多头疼。上次在荧太郎爷爷的生日宴会和你爸妈见面我都差点魂都跑了。” (“Uh, the effort is to be expected, I don’t dare imagine the fallout if the Akiyama Group’s heiress encounters problems here in the Philippines. Last time I met your parents in the birthday banquet of Hotaro’s grandfather, I almost had my soul leave my body.”)

  Rina only chuckled, that knowing, teasing sound that made Marius avert his gaze, hiding a small smile.

  They walked past the food tents, the air thick with the scent of grilled squid and melted sugar. The crowd thinned as they wandered deeper into the esplanade, where the sound of the river softened and the chatter of people grew faint. A group of joggers brushed by in rhythm; a child on training wheels wobbled ahead of careful parents; a small circle of college kids laughed over a phone’s glow.

  The halo-halo in Marius’ cup had melted into a swirl of ice and cream. He tipped it back and finished it in one long gulp. Rina’s cup was already empty, she handed it to him wordlessly. He threw both into the trash bin, the sound of plastic against metal echoing briefly before fading into the night.

  They kept walking. A cool wind passed, carrying the faint, tired scent of the river.

  “说到爸妈，”Rina asked lightly, “他们什么时候从出差回来？是哪儿来着？” (“Speaking of parents, when are yours going back from their business trip? Where did they go again?”)

  “一个叫Pampanga的地方，” Marius said. “他们在那里遇到新的木料供应商，就顺便去看工厂了。大概星期四才回来。” (“In a place called Pampanga, they met a new wood supplier there so they extended their stay to visit their factory. They should be back by Thursday.”)

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  Rina lowered her gaze, her voice softening. “星期四啊……我星期三的飞机，看来这趟是见不到他们了。” (“Oh, Thursday… my flight back is Wednesday. It would seem I wouldn’t be able to meet them on this trip.”)

  Marius smiled faintly, glancing at her. We could extend your trip, is what he imagined he wanted to say, but he hesitated, and decided against it. “这么想见他们啊？” (“You want to meet them so badly?”)

  “当然啊，”Rina’s tone carried that half-playful warmth, “这么多年了我还只是听说过燕丰爸妈，从没见过他们本人。很想听听他们亲口讲你说的那些故事, 下海经商、走错程序、结果误打误撞留在菲律宾。看你的样子，他们肯定是很有趣的人。” (“I’ve been hearing about them for so many years but I still haven’t met them in person, I want to hear from their own mouths about their story, about their decision to leave China to start a business, not knowing how to maneuver through the emigration process, and accidentally ending up in the Philippines. On top of that, seeing how you ended up, they must be very interesting people.”)

  Marius chuckled softly, eyes turning toward the faint reflections of lights on the river. “还好还好，他们能不像其他当地华人一样依靠同乡人生存确实很强了。” (“They’re alright. Being able to survive here in the Philippines without the help of town mates unlike the other Chinese people here is quite commendable though.”)

  They walked on. The air grew quieter, the city’s hum becoming distant. Somewhere far behind them, laughter spilled from the crowd, but here it was just the two of them, footsteps syncing against the worn concrete path.

  Rina tilted her head. “那，见不到你爸妈是一回事，但我怎么觉得你在这里没交到朋友啊。” (“Then, putting aside me not able to meet your parents. Why does it feel like you haven’t made any friends here?”)

  Marius’s lips curved slightly. “你有见到啊，有三胞胎她们，Sabina…” (“You have met them, there’s the triplets, Sabina…”)

  Rina cut in, her tone teasing but edged with something gentler. “他们都是你的员工啊，关系再怎么友好也是老板和员工的金钱关系。” (“But they’re all your employees, no matter how good your relationships are it’s still an employer and employee relationship.”)

  “那关系还行的客户算吗？” (“Do clients I’m friendly with count?”) Marius asked, pretending not to look at her.

  Rina laughed, a quiet, silvery sound that hung in the air between them. “诶，你这也太勉强了吧。” (“Oh, that’s so forced.”)

  The lights behind them blurred into soft halos, and in that muted gold, their shadows stretched long and close together, almost touching, never quite.

  Marius slowed his pace as they walked, the esplanade now quiet enough that only the distant strum of a busker and the low hum of the river filled the air. The city lights shimmered on the water like fragments of memory, soft, trembling, and fleeting.

  “我在这里太忙了，” (“I’m too busy here.”) Marius said after a pause. “一直埋在项目里，没什么时间社交。偶尔也会和几个以前的客户出去喝一杯，但也就那样吧，不算真朋友。” (“The Project takes too much of my time for socializing. I’d sometimes hang out with people I initially met as clients, but we’re just friendly, I wouldn’t call us friends.”)

  Rina turned her head, her hair catching the faint glow of the lamps. “为什么？不合得来？” (“Why? You don't get along?”)

  Marius smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “也不是不合得来吧……只是，跟他们在一起，总觉得在下棋。每句话都在算利益，每个笑容背后都有代价。” (“It’s not that we don’t get along… it’s just, when I’m with them it’s always like a game of chess. Every sentence has a cost benefit analysis, every smile has a price.”)

  He stuffed his hands into his pockets, gaze drifting toward the slow-moving river. “这里的人啊，尤其是那些政界的客户，做什么都讲交换。人情、好处、承诺, 连朋友都成了投资项目。” (“People I’ve met here, especially my clients in politics, to them everything is a negotiation. Relationships, benefits, promises, even friendships become investments.”)

  “我在这始终会是个外人，” (“I’ll always be an outsider here.”) he continued softly. “我虽然能讲当地语言，但我没上过他们的学校，不认识他们的圈子，也不懂他们谈的那些球赛、电视节目、旧八卦。我插不上话。” (“I may speak the local language, but I didn’t attend their schools, I didn’t grow up with their social circles, I don’t know what they’re talking about when they mention sports games, TV shows, old gossip. I try to catch up, but I can’t truly join the conversation.”)

  Rina’s footsteps slowed to match his. “所以你就把自己藏起来？你当时跟员工互动的方式，和平时的你不太一样。” (“So that’s why you hide yourself? I saw you act differently from how I know you when you interacted with your employees.”) she asked, her tone quiet, like she already knew the answer.

  Marius chuckled under his breath. “也许吧。” (“Perhaps.”)

  They stopped by the railing, the river below glinting with scattered gold. The wind brushed past them, carrying the faint echo of traffic and laughter from far away.

  Rina leaned on the railing beside him, her voice low. “那你现在呢？现在的感觉是什么？” (“What about now? What do you feel?”)

  Marius didn’t answer right away. He looked out at the lights trembling on the surface, as if searching for the right words in their reflection.

  “其实……听说你要来菲律宾的时候，我特别高兴。” （“Actually when I heard that you were visiting, I was overjoyed.”) His voice was almost a whisper, the kind that wasn’t meant to travel far. “我真的很想大家。” (“I miss you guys.”)

  He hesitated, breath catching, then added, “尤其是... 很想你。” (“Especially… especially you.”)

  Rina turned to look at him, her lips curling into that small, knowing smile. She laughed softly, eyes glinting like the riverlight. “可惜啊，再过两天，我就要回日本了。” (“Too bad, in two days I’m going to be heading home.”)

  Marius tried to sound casual, but his tone came out quieter than he intended. “回去之后，要忙什么吗？” (“What are you going be busy about after you get home?”)

  “没什么安排，” (“I don’t have plans,”) Rina said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “正式上我跟工作说我要休假一个月。” (“Officially speaking I’m on vacation for a month.”)

  Marius chuckeld faintly. “没有你，世界银行的日本办公室不就要乱成一团了吗？” (“Without you, how would the World Bank’s Japan office function?”)

  Rina chuckled, the sound light and fleeting. “你太夸张了吧，我只是众多经济学家里的一员而已。” (“You’re exaggerating, I’m just one of their many economists.”)

  Silence fell between them again. Only the faint hum of the city filled the space, the wind against the water, a distant horn, footsteps passing behind them.

  Marius’s mind began to race. The thought pushed at him, louder and louder. Just ask it. Just say it.

  He turned to her, and before he could stop himself, the words stumbled out: “要不要……多留几天？” (“Would you like… to say here a few days longer?”)

  Rina didn’t answer immediately. The wind brushed past, carrying the faint scent of sampaguita from somewhere down the path.

  She looked at him for a long moment, her eyes warm, unreadable. Then she smiled.

  “我就等你问呢。” (“I’ve been waiting for you to ask that.”)

  Marius felt the heat climb up his neck, settling on his face like fire. He looked away, but the blush only deepened.

  Rina burst out laughing, eyes bright. “你现在这脸啊，简直像卡通人一样红。” (“Your face right now, it’s so red it’s like a cartoon.”)

  Before he could respond, she was already fishing her camera out of her leather bag. The lens gleamed under the streetlight. “来，别动，我得拍下来。” (“Alright, don’t move, I have to take a picture of this.”)

  “别闹啦，” (“Stop fooling around.”) Marius said, ducking his head, turning half away, though a smile betrayed him.

  “哎呀别害羞嘛，笑一个！” (“Don’t be shy, smile!”) she teased, snapping a few quick shots as he halfheartedly tried to block the lens with his hand.

  Their laughter spilled into the quiet night, soft, unguarded, echoing faintly against the slow rush of the river.

  When they finally calmed down, Rina lowered her camera and tilted her head. “说真的，你不是挺忙的吗？这星期我看你电话短信都没停过。上周六那场电影高潮你还跑出去接电话呢。” (“But seriously, aren’t you quite busy? This past week your calls and texts barely stopped, you even missed the ending of that movie we watched on Saturday because you had to take a call.”)

  Marius rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling. “我总能挤出时间给朋友的。” (“I can always squeeze time for friends.”)

  He hesitated, then added with a wry smile, “不过这星期三还是得去见几个潜在的合作伙伴，那个躲不掉。” (“But I have a meeting with some prospective partners this Wednesday, I can’t skip it.”)

  Rina raised an eyebrow, pretending to pout. “哎呀，那天我岂不是要自己找乐子了？” (“Aya, then I’m supposed to find my own fun that day?”)

  Marius smiled softly, glancing at her. “那天之后，我再补偿你。” (“I’ll make it up to you.”)

  The night deepened, the hum of the city turning slower, softer. A truck horn sounded in the distance, its echo washing over the water like a sigh.

  Marius exhaled, his tone shifting back toward something quieter, more grounded. “然后在那之前，我还得收拾刚才那个烂摊子。” (“Then before that, I have to clean up the mess I mentioned earlier.”)

  Rina glanced at him, curious. “是那个老西班牙家族的公司吗？” (“That old Spanish family’s company?”)

  “嗯，” Marius nodded, eyes fixed on the dark surface of the river. “刚才才收到确认。客户太固执，硬是把整件事搞砸了。” (“Yeah. I just got confirmation. The client was too stubborn and blew the whole thing.”)

  Rina gave a small, knowing smile. “不奇怪啊。企业收购竞标本来就很血腥。” (“I’m not surprised, a bidding war is bound to be bloody.”) She tilted her head slightly. “要不要我帮忙？” (“Do you want me to help?”)

  Marius turned to her, a gentle scolding in his voice. “绝对不行。你在度假，不准工作。我的团队能处理。” (“Absolutely not. You’re in vacation, I can’t let you work. My team can handle it.”)

  Rina nodded back. “行，你的地盘你说的算。” (“Alright, your place your rules.”)

  The sound of the river filled the pause that followed. The orange street lamp’s light shimmered against Rina’s face, her expression soft but unreadable.