Occasionally, a riverside café would push open its wooden window, and the aroma of coffee mixed with the sea breeze would waft by one's nose.
The sleeve of the russet kimono hung low, and Ayase Origami sat at the stern, her slightly vacant pupils reflecting the city's scenery.
In the sunlight, the clock tower in St. Mark's Square pierced through the clouds, and the statue of the golden winged lion stood tall on the arch of the Governor's Mansion; the stone sculptures of the Rialto Bridge, polished bright by time, watched over the alternating flow of merchant and tourist boats below.
The young boy and girl sat in silence at the stern.
The sightseeing boat passed through one bridge after another. The world became clear and then dark, dark then clear again. Every time they passed through a bridge, it was like a new painting slowly unfurled before their eyes.
"Have you been to Venice before?" Xia Pingzhou suddenly asked.
"No."
"It's my first time too."
"Can I ask you a question?"
