Chapter 6 (2/2)
The night was dark and the lights in the living room were off He was probably asleep?
I walked softly, barefooted, to the kitchen I turned the corner and abruptly found the refrigerator door open He was standing in front of the refrigerator, stooped over, getting so
I was startled, practically shocked
He had a t-shi+rt on, and, below, he had on a pair of gy like those of Greek sculptures, slender and sturdy He didn’t have a right leg The right leg disappeared froreeted him softly
He stopped up, turned around and looked at me without expression
“I want…a drink of water” My voice trembled a little, “Bottle…bottle…” (Technically, she saidwater is the term for bottled water in China)
“Bottled water?”
I nodded His hand was holding milk He placed the et , he could still stand so steadily There was not a trace of a sway, as if he practiced martial arts before
“Still haven’t slept?” He handed the bottled water to ood sleeping pills Do you want to try so”
He started drinking the milk
“Do you like to drink et up to drink ht It’s a childhood habit, can’t get rid of it”
“If you travel, what do you do if there is no o buy it no o”
“Insane” I said with a light laugh, covering up the ao tomy crutches over here?” He said
It was only then that I saw that he didn’t have crutches next to him The kitchen was far from his bedroom
“How did you walk over here without crutched?” I couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity
“I hopped over, ” he said “But I’ht the crutches over to hi ability is quite good Really”
“I do yoga everyday”
Seeing the ehtened in heartache for him
“Was it an car accident?” I suddenly asked
“It happened a long tio” His expression clearly meant he didn’t want to say anyht” I said
“What time is your exam tomorrow?”
“Nine o’clock”
“If I’m not awake, please wake me up I’ll drop you off”
“Ok”
“Good night,” he said
I laid in bed staring blankly and left ination run wild I didn’t fall asleep at all At six-thirty, I got up, finished washi+ng up and put on my backpack I didn’t want to wake him him up, so quietly left alone
I left a note for him
“Li Chuan, I went back to school There’s no need to drop ht You should get more sleep If I am still able to see you after my exam, I will treat you to aair was as cold as it was at night I took the elevator down The guard in the lobby looked oddly at !”
“Miss, do you need me to drive your car over here?” He asked
“Ah…I didn’t drive”
“Oh”
“That’s right, what’s this building called?” I suddenly asked
“Miss, you don’t know? This is Long Ze Garden (Dragon Pool Garden)” He laughed strangely
“If I want to get to S University, what bus do I take?”
“That’s a bit far But there is a subway if you head towards the right when you go out”
“Thank you, with a subway, I’ll kno to get there”
He continued to look at me with skepticis meant
I didn’t know that there were such cold and quiet streets in Beijing I shi+vered in the wind I was just about to turn right when so?”
Besides Li Chuan, co-workers at the café, andWhen I turned around, I couldn’t help but ad
It was a fashi+onable young elled up hair and the corner of both his eyes sold necklace around his neck
“You are–” I didn’t recognize hi
“I saw that you came out froht?”
Why should I answer him
He stuck out his hand, “I am also Li Chuan’s friend Ji Huan ‘Huan’ of the Duke Huan of Qi”
Li Chuan’s friend Then that was different
I shook hands with hins” Beloas his name, phone number, fax number, and office address
I said, “What does Mr Ji design?”
“Li Chuan is in architectural design, I an
“Nice to meet you But I can’t chat, I have to sit for an exaoodbye
Soiven him his keys
“Where is your exao myself”
“Have you eaten breakfast?” Why was he so inquisitive
“I’ve eaten”
“The subway station is over there, past the red light”
“I saw it already, thank you”
“Do you like this building?” He pointed to the building From the outside, its form seemed monstrous, layers upon layers, like a peacock with its tail spread open
“It’s ok…I don’t really understand architecture”
“Li Chuan designed this”
“Oh!”
“Good luck!”
“Have a good day” I said