Li Na's Dream Pencil

Li Na placed the pencil in her bag, as she walked through a field of flowers. She was still young, but like most girls of her age, had always dreamt of falling in love.

She smiled and turned around to look at the flowers, making sure her yellow dress didn’t get stained. The flowers were beautiful, but the one thing that made them truly shine was their scent. It was stronger than any perfume she had ever smelled; it smelled like a warm summer night, when you slept with your window open and woke up feeling contented.

“Hello, miss!” said a voice behind her.

Li Na turned around to find a man standing there. He looked respectable enough – his clothes were simple, but well-kept and clean. He also looked smart – he wore small spectacles which seemed to magnify his eyes, making him appear wise beyond his years. But what really caught Li Na’s attention was the big smile on his face. His teeth were sharp as two rows of white needles, and for some reason that smile made Li Na feel good too.

He approached her slowly until he stood right in front of her. “Pardon my boldness, miss, but I couldn’t help notice how beautiful you are!” he said with even greater enthusiasm than before. As if he had read Li Na’s thoughts, he reached into his pocket and took out a small object. It was black and rectangular – just like a pencil. “I would be honoured if you could accept this small token of affection!” he said as he handed it to Li Na.

It was almost like an offering: gentle and graceful and full of promise. Li Na accepted it gratefully, wrapping her fingers around the handle until they met its tip with perfect precision - just like how she always imagined it would be when she first fell in love herself.

The strange man bowed happily and walked away from Li Na without another word or glance at her direction once he had left her side.