Do Not Look Back to Avoid Awkwardness

The desert in the early morning looked as clean as if it had been washed by water. The sky was a brilliant, serene blue without a single trace of cloud, and gentle dunes rolled on endlessly, stretching toward the horizon. Yellow and blue intertwined at the place where the sand and sky met, carrying a beauty that was both profound and tranquil.

We were packing our gear, preparing to begin our first day of surveying while the sunlight was still relatively mild.

I hadn't slept well last night, and waking up early this morning left me with heavy, dark circles under my eyes when I looked in the mirror. With no other choice, I grabbed the sunscreen and slathered it generously over my face and body, then wrapped myself up tightly with a hat and a scarf, leaving only my eyes exposed. Only then did I dare to step out of the tent.

Dubai was naturally a hot and arid desert country, and now, deep within the desert, I could distinctly feel my smooth, delicate skin turning somewhat rough. On this expedition, although a woman studying geology shouldn't be too fastidious, necessary sun protection was still a must; otherwise, if I shed a couple of layers of skin, I wouldn't have the face to meet anyone when I got back.

I lifted the tent flap and had just ducked out when I saw Musa nearby emerging from his tent as well.

Our eyes met, and I froze. The lips that had been within touching distance last night flashed abruptly into my mind, and I felt a blush creep over my cheeks. I averted my gaze to cover my embarrassment and said, "Morning."

"Morning." His voice was infinitely peaceful, without a single ripple—so calm that I began to wonder once again if last night had merely been a bittersweet dream. If it were a dream, perhaps its tangled implications could be easily brushed aside. But Musa did not give me that chance. As his body fully emerged from the tent, I clearly saw him holding the messy notebook from the night before, bringing back a vivid memory of the delicately sketched portrait and the deliberately concealed name in the lower left corner...

Without saying much more, I hurriedly turned my head away, loaded the equipment onto the vehicle, grabbed a bite of dry rations for breakfast, and set off with the rest of the group.

As soon as we entered the survey area, we busied ourselves with our respective tasks under the guidance of Professor Amerding. Topographical mapping, land cover mapping, and landscape photography—though tedious, these tasks did not require excessive physical exertion. Even with my mind in a tangle, the moment I faced my studies and work, I was able to regain my focus.

Sweat clung to my skin, and the sun gradually climbed higher. As I was intently recording data, I suddenly felt my notebook covered by a dark hand.

I raised my head and looked in puzzlement at Singh standing before me.

Singh frowned at me, glanced to the left and right, and asked in a low voice, "What happened between you and Musa?"

"Huh?" A wave of shock washed over me. Unconsciously tightening my grip on the pen, I felt a guilty irritation and snapped, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Nonsense? Why are you so defensive then?" Singh rolled his eyes at me, then cast a meaningful glance behind me and said, "Musa has been staring at your back the whole time, completely dazed, and hasn't looked away for ages."

The moment his voice fell, a sense of anxiety stirred in my heart. My reflex was to turn around and look, but Singh's warning pulled me right back: "Don't look, you'll only make it awkward."

I paused slightly. Realizing he had a point, I forcefully suppressed the urge to look back.

Singh watched my conflicted expression—wanting to look yet not daring to—glanced at me, and said quietly, "Not to mention, the way you're dressed today, with only your eyes showing, you actually look quite a bit like the veiled local women."

After a brief pause, I blinked and smiled, "I'm doing this for sun protection to stay beautiful; they cover their beauty for the sake of faith. How could those possibly be the same? They never will be."

Singh stared at me, his gaze carrying a strange quality that I couldn't quite decipher. After watching me for a moment, he suddenly straightened up and said earnestly, "Don't get too close to him. It won't be good for either of you."

I opened my mouth, wanting to offer a rebuttal, but seeing the solemn expression on Singh's face, I pressed my lips together, kept quiet, turned back around, and resumed my work.

The yellow sand remained mute and silent, and the scorching sunlight baked me until I felt half-dead. Just as I was growing dizzy from the heat, I suddenly heard a shout from not far away, startling me out of my languid daze.