Work Text:
Hua Cheng, the son of the mason, was a romantic young man. On the evening of July 14, he had danced with Xie Lian, the mayor's son. They had danced only one dance, without exchanging a word, the glance of one hung on the glance of the other. And Hua Cheng had fallen madly in love.
On the side of the highest building in the city, a few days later, he had painted in giant letters: "XIE LIAN, I LOVE YOU". But Xie Lian did not answer.
On the lawn of the city hall, he had planted thousands of dahlias, petunias, pansies and nasturtiums that drew in multicolored letters the words: "XIE LIAN, I LOVE YOU". But Xie Lian did not answer.
He had climbed the towers of the cathedral to hang a huge banner that screamed to the wind, in red and black letters: "XIE LIAN, I LOVE YOU" But Xie Lian did not answer.
He had installed in the streets, squares, on all the boulevards and avenues hundreds of loudspeakers which sang, whispered, begged, declaimed, shouted: "XIE LIAN, I LOVE YOU". But Xie Lian did not answer.
He had carved, letter by letter, on the concrete pillars of the railway bridge: "XIE LIAN, I LOVE YOU". But Xie Lian did not answer.
The next year, on the evening of July 14, he still loved him, but did not hope any more. Before the ball, fireworks were set off. Pink and red stars burst in the sky, spurts of gold and silver, bluish crackles set the night ablaze, and then came the finale. In green, yellow, orange, blue, red, exploded in turn in the sky, accomplice of the letters-rockets which said to the whole world:
ME TOO, HUA CHENG, I LOVE YOU.