Chapter 18 (2/2)
“I also” He said
I looked at hin and love are the same, they both need passion”
The ocean breeze was quite cool, he eether close
Returning from the construction site, in the hotel lobby, I saw a tall wo on the sofa Cashmere blouse, navy wool skirt, sly beautiful profile
The wo”
Her face was delicate, with an indescribable sense of class and beauty Seeing her, one would be re dynasty verse
“Let me do the introductions,” Li Chuan said, “this is my secretary and translator, Miss Zhu Bi Xuan This is Miss Xie Xiao Qiu”
We shook hands and smiled
In Zhu Bi Xuans’ eyes, was hidden a shred of hesitation As Li Chuan spoke, he held my hand the whole time
“What’s the matter?” Li Chuan asked
“A few docunature Also, the final translation of the tender needs your review”
“You can review the English Leave the French and German for me”
“He took the pen, sat down, read the docu speed
I and Zhu Bi Xuan, smiled at each other very cordially
“Miss Zhu studied in the English Departe University English Departlish?”
“Yeah, I’m at S University, fresh is an expert on D H Lawrence, when I orking on my dissertation, I studied his works”
“Yes, his reputation is great I plan to take his class next year”
“Does Miss Xie like Macau?”
“I like it very much Is this Miss Zhu’s first time in Macau?”
“No, because of this project, I have come many times with the architects”
I feel like the way Zhu Bi Xuan speaks, from start to finish, carries an air of experienced professionalism What sounds like easy conversation, is actually perfectly cautious and safe, not a single risky word Unlikemy foot on the carpet the whole time as I speak, like a punished child
Li Chuan finished signing the documents, stood up and said: “The Xun Da Corporation banquet, Mr He will attend in my place”
“U must be present, he wants to take three hundred drinks with you, no leaving until everyone is wasted”
“Exactly because of this, I’ht, he sighed, “Never e If I still don’t go this tio What time is this?”
“Seven”
Li Chuan caht to the bathroom, and bent over the toilet to vomit
I stayed by him and held him, said: “How are you so dumb Did you really take three hundred drinks with them!”
He vomited for a full ten , he couldn’t even stand steadily with a crutch
“Sit down, I’ll help you wash up” I felt so bad for hith from who knohere, he shoved ”
A moment later, the sound of water started A quarter hour later, he finished washi+ng, and sobered up, put on pajah, it’s so difficult doing business with people here To win a contract, you s short of sleeping with them The upscale banquet hall, the roo How can it be like this!”
“You have a profit to , think of the poor kids in the iions” [This is the Chinese equivalent of “think of the starving kids in Africa’]
“I donate to Project Hope every year” [Project Hope is a Chinese public service project ai schools to poverty-stricken rural areas in China]
He pulled ht to et back to Xiao Qiu”
“No way, so cheesy?”
“I couldn’t bear to let you stay all alone in a hotel room”
“I’m not lonely,” I said, “After I ate, I took a swiames, and then, I went and watched a ood I just got back, and you returned”
He hugged htly ran my hand over him Then, he turned on the TV with the re Hands [a classic romantic TV drama from the 90s], what episode did atch until?”
Li Chuan is a bit different from other men I know He doesn’t really like to watch soccer, or to watch other sports programs He liked to watch draood The draer the better, he never turned down any His reasoning was, drama series can help hiue Rather there’s no point in watching sports channels, he just needs toback and forth, switched through several tens of channels, still couldn’t find Holding Hands Finally we landed in thewas playing, in japanese, he heard, said: “I’edy, let’s not watch”
I said, “Don’t you say you don’t know japanese?”
“No matter how little of it I know, it’s still more than you”
“My second concentration is japanese” I said in japanese
Then, he said a sentence in japanese, I stared at him ide eyes, surprised that I couldn’t understand I thought, shouldn’t be some synonym of bakayaro [a japanese ter the lines of “retard” or “fool”]
“Basho’s verse” He said, “Are you completely convinced?”
“Is there any baseline for your excessive modesty?”
“No If I were you, at your level, I just won’t tell people I have a second concentration”
I jumped up, made a move as if to pinch him
He threw his hands up in surrender: “Next time you have trouble with your japanese hoive me!”
The next day, we bid farewell at the airport I went back to Beijing, Li Chuan to Shenyang While waiting for hi, winter break ended I still worked at the old place My dad still sent me money, 100 yuan a month, double the amount as before He did not write to me The letters I wrote hily perceptive ofAlso, he kneould be like hi further, would never turn back So, he didn’t even try to persuade me
After Li Chuan ca Ze Garden for ten days These ten days, we lived together every day, stuck together like glue, we lived those days like aon the wall Even though that thief stole our caraphy skills were actually not shabby My favorite picture, there are distant streetlights in the background, Li Chuan is turning back, to brush away a strand of hair from my face In that instant, with his side turned towardand love
Afterward, he returned to Zurich, Switzerland, his horandmother
He was there for a week, called s going on at home, he needed to stay so with his brother At the ski slopes, there’s no phone signal
He stayed in Switzerland for a full two months
Monday, I went to the airport to pick him up, I saw that he was eular
“Hi!” He spotted htly
“How coot fatter”
“I’ve been eating well” Before he left, he insisted on leaving me money I didn’t take it I went back to work at the cafe This semester I didn’t take too many classes, I could work for several ood
“Your ears are healed?”
He walked out to the street, inspected s, I really liked the Ze Garden, Li Chuan took et ood in pearls, I would look better in rubies Those the color of roses So s Before Li Chuan left, he rubbed my ears with alcohol three tiet infected But my ears were still swollen
“Healed”
“Doesn’t hurt anymore?”
“Doesn’t hurt a bit I’ve even taken them off several times myself”
“Didn’t they say, you can only take thee, you left for two o” I knocked him on the head
He smiled, a sliver of sadness hidden in his so eat sushi+ At that place ent to last ti, let’s go eat rice noodles That sushi+ place is too expensive”
All the way there, he wasn’t talkative
While ere eating, he was also not talkative
After the ht to my dorm
“What happened? Li Chuan?” My heart was heavy
“Sos In addition, ood, he’s in critical condition”
I rarely hear Li Chuan bring up his family But I know he’s very adored in his family Every time he
“Didn’t you say your grandrandfather is also sick?”
“Sorry, I ht have to go back to Switzerland soon, I’ for a phone call”
He watchedhis hand, “You came back specifically to see me?”
Under the tree shade outside htly kissed it: “Yes”