What is the word for love in Chinese?

I recently visited China and was struck by the complexity of the language, with thousands of characters to learn and master. One thing that has always fascinated me is the different words used to describe various emotions and concepts, including "love". I am traveling through rural areas where English is not widely spoken and I wish to know a simple word or phrase for love in Chinese that I can use when interacting with locals, such as affection or romantic feelings. Can anyone please share a straightforward term or expression for this?