THE SADDEST GIRL SINCE THE SONG DYNASTY

UNFORTUNATELY, DEATH - PART I

If the Buddha himself had reached through thousands of years of history and messaged Bingbing with a profound insight, she would not have been more thrilled. Instead, Pierre Gup, a Junior Fitness Instructor (according to the bronze name tag he tended to keep on even outside work) and high altitude resident of Shanghai's Jiading district, had texted the short, but for Bingbing, oh-so-sweet six words: "Maybe we can meet this afternoon?"

The element of panic in her facial expression reflected her realization that it would take a miracle to be back in the city for any time that would reasonably constitute the afternoon. The element of elation derived from her confident, optimistic interpretation of a message that really included zero allusion to intent – that the Romance of the Communist Dynasty was back on.

Waving her phone around her head in a desperate attempt to rediscover a signal, speaking in incomplete two-word sentences that only when taken in aggregate conveyed a questionable logic and plan of action, Bingbing decided to begin frantically herding Lady Zhao and Ander back down the mountain, back down to sea level and Shanghai, against the current of worshipers and holy men still laboring, sometimes crawling in penance, towards the shrine.

"We can make it. If we run. Get the earlier boat. Earlier bus." Bingbing was trying to do time calculations with her fingers while navigating the irregular steps.

"Bingbing, what did he actually say?" asked Lady Zhao.

"But, I mean. It was the very moment – the very second. I rose. From my kneeling position. I raised my head, looked into Buddha's eyes, and it was just then. A ping. And I went to check and. It was Pierre – oh how beautiful the creatures are on this mountain!" Bingbing, pointing to a raven. "The exact second."

"Have you responded?" called Lady Zhao, falling a little behind. "Have you asked him if he can meet later, or tomorrow?" She praised aloud the virtues of flexible men as she consciously slowed, took the descent easier – she had almost fallen over twice, and she would be acutely vexed if she broke a heel pursuing a crazed Bingbing.