"Did you know that Prague means 'threshold' in German?" Wang Yi packed up her things and walked out to stand on the balcony, following her gaze into the distance, "I don't believe in legends such as the so-called 'architect who was moved by the old sawmiller', but it is undeniable that this city is almost one of the most desirable places in Europe." ”

Chen Ying tilted her head to look at him. He wears a woolen hat, and the white vapor from his nose quickly dissipates in the sunlight.

"Going to lunch?" She proposed.

"Okay."

They followed the path to the river, barely having to look at the map. The iconic buildings of the Old Town Square stand among the many Renaissance buildings that guide them. They stopped at St. Vita's Cathedral, visited the lavishly decorated tomb of St. John in sterling silver, and walked through the Chapel of St. Vinceslas to study the splendid stained-glass windows. Then they went to St. George's Chapel, inspected the convent next to it, and finally stood in front of the Astronomical Clock. It was exactly one o'clock in the afternoon, the bells rang in unison, and the twelve disciples appeared at the window one by one, bowing to the crowd in the square.

It's past lunchtime, and the square is still crowded. The two of them sat down at a nearby café and asked for their recommended dish of the day. Before waiting for the food to be served, Chen Ying swiped the information on her mobile phone.

"The stock market is off, right?" Wang Yi looked at the flow of people and asked casually.

"Yes. Today's market is not very good. Chen Ying said while watching, "It's almost impossible to operate here, there is a time difference of seven or eight hours, and the market is just closed every day when I get up." ”

He smiled and gulped down the hot coffee he had just served. The warm water vapor is stirred by a spoon and rises and melts into the surrounding air. Because of the large number of people, there were no seats in the store, and they sat under the parasols held up in front of the store. There were several street artists performing in their neighborhood corners, and accordion accompaniment came intermittently. There were quite a few onlookers who dispersed after the performance.

"Why are you in a hurry? The Dutch side – is it okay? Chen Ying asked as she ate the salad in front of her.

"I'm afraid I'll be late, so you'll leave." He said bluntly, his eyes fixed on the rings of different diameters overlapping on the astronomical clock.

"It's not ......"

"If you don't come to the airport — I can't help it." Wang Yi nibbled on a beef burger in front of him, and looked at Chen Ying with straight eyes, "Probably I just don't want to celebrate my birthday alone." ”

"Don't you want to try the boiled eggs with mushrooms?" Chen Ying propped up a little bit with a spoon to show him, "It is said that the taste is very special." ”

"Forget it, I'll try to eat as little food as possible." He pouted, "My stomach probably isn't used to European cuisine yet. ”

"I'm not used to it. At first, I could only swallow fruit. Chen Ying smiled bitterly, "Later, because I couldn't choose, I had to eat hard, and now Danish food is barely acceptable." ”

Wang Yi burst out laughing. Startled, a few foraging pigeons fluttered to the nearby awning. After they finished their meal, they walked into the crowd filled with exclamation and the sound of camera shutters. The red tram slowly made its way through the crowd, the shadow of the bell tower moved across the square, and several hydrogen balloons broke free from the ropes and flew into the blue sky.

They took a closer look at the city hall, and while studying the location of the "throw-out window" incident, Chen Ying told Wang Yi about the two years of war caused by religious oppression. Afterwards, they traveled from church to museum, visiting Prague's famous Protestant and Catholic churches. As the sun sets, the two stand at the junction of Prague's Old Town and the Jewish Quarter, with the theme restaurant of the same name as the novel "The Good Soldier" right in front of them.

"Go in and have a look?" Wang Yi stared at the poster at the door of the restaurant and asked.

"I'll go back and cook and eat." Chen Ying said a little apologetically, "The hotel provides basic kitchenware, as long as the dishes are not particularly complicated, you can do it yourself." ”

"That's not bad either." He didn't insist, and followed her in the direction she had come. They deliberately chose a route that they didn't pass when they came, and took a look at the scenery along the way. Winter nights come early, and Prague looks like a fairy city at night. Old horse-drawn carriages roam the streets of the square, old castles are bewildered by the dim lights, loud music and shouts can be heard from the doors of the taverns, and all the shops that are not open in the early morning are lit up to beckon visitors in the dark. At night, the spire of the town hall is particularly dark, like a sword in the stone of the modern world, witnessing the rise and fall of the city in the passing years.

As he crossed the river, Wang Yi took Chen Ying's woolen gloved hand and walked cautiously on the smooth stone bricks of the Charles Bridge. In the dark, the bridgehead sculpture is particularly quiet and solemn. They walked into a residential area with sparse street lights and into a semi-underground Oriental supermarket near the hotel, with only one person in and out of the steps at the entrance. With their heads down, they entered the supermarket that was about to close, picking up some familiar looking food from the crowded shelves. The supermarket was cold and damp, and Wang Yi always stood at the door of the store with his head down, so as not to touch the ultraviolet lamp hanging by the door. Chen Ying settled the bill, and the clerk helped her stuff all the goods into her backpack. They went out through the entrance from which they came, and crawled out into the street.

"It's cold." Wang Yi rubbed his hands and said. He paused as he walked, as if trying to sober up the numb soles of his feet.

"It's coming soon." Chen Ying hurried to follow him. They walked past a row of courtyards separated by wooden fences, with pomegranate branches stretching out, and pomegranate leaves, which had turned dark green, were scattered on the nearby sidewalk. The streetlights were dim, and the wind whirled in the narrow alleys, repeatedly twitching the collars of passers-by as if looking for a way out. As they walked along the sloping mountain road, Chen Ying stopped to buy a few peaches as they passed a fruit stall. The thick fog of the night spread silently, and by the time they arrived at the door of the hotel, the hats and toes of the two men were all hanging with water droplets.