At five o'clock in the evening, I went to work in the cafe on time. The night shift workers are Xiaotong, Xiaoye and me. I leave at eight o'clock, Xiaoye works until twelve o'clock, and Xiaotong works until the early morning of the next day. Xiaotong sleeps during the day and often skips classes, but he is promoted to sophomore smoothly, which is really astounding. Xiaotong said that the reason why he got the green light all the way to study is because he spent a lot of time investigating the teaching habits and reputation of teachers. For example, if a teacher catches cheating and is known as the Four Famous Arresters, his classes cannot be taken. A certain teacher was too strict in correcting papers, and would fail every time, and would not be selected. A certain teacher likes to check attendance, so he doesn't choose it. A certain teacher was not promoted to associate professor, and he was in a bad mood, so he did not choose. It is best to be this kind of teacher, who will tell everyone in the first class: Students, my class is 85% difficult to think about, and it is also difficult to fail.
There are thousands of bad things about working in a coffee shop, but there is one good thing, and that is to practice oral English. Although I always say a few words, it is not easy to slip away. If you can meet a foreigner who likes to chat, and in your free time, as long as the boss is not around, no one will care about you if you chat for ten minutes. Xiao Tong turned a blind eye, he also likes to chat.
There was a group of British people in the cafe today. It was a rare opportunity, and Xiaotong and I took the opportunity to practice our oral English. Time passed quickly, and in the end I was busy in front of the cashier. When it was almost eight o'clock, Xiaoye suddenly came over to me and said, "I haven't seen him for a long time."
I didn't realize it for a while: "Who haven't seen for a long time?"
"That Mr. Wang."
"Yes." I said.
Since the dispute that day, Xiaoye never took the initiative to talk to me. Xiaotong said that she was waiting for me to take the initiative to show my favor, implying that I should give her a step down at the right time, otherwise it would be very embarrassing. However, I never gave her this step. Xiaoye didn't want to talk to me, her mind was full of unrequited love, and she wasn't in the mood to talk to any wage earners in this cafe. If she really came to talk to me, there was only one reason, she wanted to know about Li Chuan.
"Have you seen him lately?" she asked.
"No," I said. "I hear he's sick."
She lost her voice: "Oh! What's wrong?"
"Pneumonia." I was in a bad mood, too lazy to guard against others.
"How did you know?"
"He told me."
"Didn't you say you haven't seen him?"
"Email."
"Can you give it to me?" She stared straight at me, and I thought, if she said no, she would definitely strangle me.
I wrote to her. I don't mind, because I think Xiaoye is from a scholarly family, and would not write letters to strangers inexplicably.
"Thanks. He forgot a notebook here last coffee. I'll ask him when it's convenient to pick it up."
Speechless. A woman in love is full of wisdom.
After finishing work, I changed my clothes and came out. The night wind was bitingly cold, it was already winter, and there was thin ice on the ground. I was wearing a Yaya brand down jacket, which was thick and big, and it was originally used to deal with the weather in March and September. Before I came to Beijing, I bought this jacket to keep out the cold. There were no small or medium sizes in the store, only this large size was left, and it was 50% off, so I bought it. Now I wear it for the first time, and I bury my whole body in it. Even if I carry my schoolbag under the coat, no one can see it.
I still went to the station to wait for the bus, but the bus didn’t come, and I was still sitting on that cold iron bench reciting words. After sitting for less than five minutes, a car screeched to a stop, and a familiar voice called me: "Xiaoqiu."
I looked up and saw Li Chuan's SUV. I have never seriously looked at Li Chuan's car, firstly, my knowledge about cars is limited, and secondly, his car always appears in the dark, so it is not so easy to see clearly. Through the glass of the bus shelter, I poked my head in confusion and hesitated. Everything is so unreal. I suspected that I was dreaming, for fear that a gust of wind would blow, and this scene would disappear. Is it really Li Chuan? Isn't Li Chuan in the hospital? He jumped out of the car, leaning on a cane, and opened the door for me. As if he had just returned from a certain banquet, he was wearing a pure black windbreaker, with a neat carbon-colored suit inside, an elegant green tie, and a faint smell of cologne on his body. He put on my seat belt habitually and asked, "Is it cold?"
"not cold."
He closed the door, turned on the heat, and started the car.
After so many passions, I haven't seen you for more than a month. He's still so perfect, so handsome, and his face confuses me from any angle.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked.
I don't say anything.
"Even if you're angry, you can't scold me like that in emails, right?" He sneered, "At least I changed the proposal for you. The more I learn English, the more I know it. No one has ever scolded me like that since I was a child."
When he said "no means no", I replied with two words, cursing.
"Stop the car, let me get down." I became angry from embarrassment.
"You have a big temper." He smiled from the sidelines, his eyes full of teasing. Then ignore me and drive the car very fast.
"Stop! Or I'll call the police!"
"The phone is here, call 110." He threw the phone to me and continued to drive. I looked at him dejectedly and had to give up. In less than fifteen minutes, the car arrived at the school. Li Chuan jumped out of the car and opened my car door. Although he has a strong balance ability, his disabled body looks very helpless. My heart softened all of a sudden, and I said softly: "Why did you leave the hospital, did you scold me?"
"I didn't leave the hospital, I slipped out." He threw the schoolbag to me.
"Hey, just scolding you, there's no need to come out of the hospital angrily to settle accounts with me, right?"
"That's right, I'm here to settle accounts with you." He suddenly pulled me in front of him.
I hugged him tightly, buried my face in his arms, and murmured: "Do you know how much I worry about you..."
"I'm sorry," he hugged me hard, "Actually, you don't have to worry, I will take care of myself, and there are also nurses."
"I won't mess around again, I swear!" I kissed him, looking for the artery in his neck like a vampire, and kissed him hard. He lowered his head to kiss my face, with a cool and sweet breath intertwined in front of me: "Why are you wearing such a big robe? It's so big that it can hold two of you?"
"I like it big, it's comfortable." I reached into his windbreaker and stroked his back, "Is there any injury here? Does it hurt?"
"It's okay." He whispered, "Don't touch it, okay?" I recalled the oath I made just now, and withdrew my hand to fasten the belt of the windbreaker for him.
"What are you doing tonight?" he asked.
"Go to the library to study the proposal you changed for me. After so many changes, I don't understand many parts."
"I don't understand something," he said. "Wouldn't it be better to tell you while I'm here?"
"Then you will accompany me to the library, okay?" I held his arm and begged in a low voice. In fact, I know that Li Chuan doesn't like to go to public places with many people, and I don't like people staring at him, but he finally showed up, I don't want him to leave me immediately.
Sure enough, he hesitated: "I walk with a terrible limp, don't you mind?"
"Nevermind. Walking on prosthetics is so hard, you better not use them every day." I blurted out, then gave him another unease look. Li Chuan cherishes his appearance very much, and has always dressed meticulously in formal occasions. He is also a perfectionist, so it is conceivable that losing a leg and being disabled for life is a big blow to him.
He looked at me, hesitant to speak.
The second and third floors of the library are all self-study rooms, and hundreds of desks are placed in a hall. Hundreds of people sat inside and read books. If Li Chuan went in, he would definitely attract attention. I took him to the newspaper reading room on the first floor, where there were few people and relatively deserted.
We found a seat, Li Chuan took the down jacket I took off, hung it aside, and then took off the windbreaker. I took out the printed proposal, dictionary, and notebook from my schoolbag, and sat down with him. He looked at the pile of materials I had prepared, and suddenly remembered something, and said, "By the way, how did you do in the midterm exam?"
God, he remembered this.
"The average score is 90, which is still five points away from the goal. If you work harder, the scholarship is expected."
"A child can be taught. Let's talk about the Article you use first. How do you say Article in Chinese?"
"Article."
"There is no need to add an article in front of a concept. For example, if you say space, you say time, and you mean concept, there is no need to add an article."
"oh."
"Also here, there must be an article before dynasty."
"I've learned it all, but I just don't remember it."
"Also, one of the principles of writing a proposal, don't say how it will benefit you. Talk about how it will benefit others, the school, and the reputation of the school." Next, he told me why he To change it in that way, I talked about it one by one, and I talked for a full two hours. Li Chuan's memory is really strong, he never misspells very complex and long words.
Finally, feeling that he would be exhausted by talking like this, I said, "It's getting late, let's go."
"Any more questions to ask?"
"It's gone. I understand it completely. Brother, you are too powerful. ——This is the benefit of the mother tongue."
He couldn't help laughing: "English is not my mother tongue. I grew up in Switzerland, spent my childhood in the French-speaking area, and went to middle school in the German-speaking area. My mother tongue is French and German."
I hurriedly flattered: "Li Chuan, my admiration for you is like a torrent of river water, endless."
He stood up, brought me a down jacket, watched me put it on, and then put on the windbreaker. We walked out of the library together and went back to the principal's building where he had parked his car.
"Do you want to go out for supper?" he asked.
"No, you're tired. May I accompany you back to the hospital? If you feel uncomfortable, I'll give you a massage, okay? I have a very strong resistance and I'm not afraid of infection, really." I salivated.
"No need," he handed me a small pink box, "I bought you a mobile phone, call me when you are free."
"Isn't the signal blocked in the hospital?"
"I'm leaving the hospital tomorrow."
"Okay. . . get in the car." I said.
"I'll take you back to the bedroom first."
There was thin ice everywhere on the ground. If he accidentally fell and broke his remaining leg, what would he do
"Next time, okay? Send me off after you fully recover. I beg you."
"No." He said, "The ground is so slippery, and you don't look at the road, I'm afraid you will fall."
Back to the dormitory, I was very happy. All the people looked at me and felt that I looked very bright today, which was unusual.
"Hey, you finally came out of the shadow of broken love," An An observed my face, "Congratulations!"
I washed my face, slipped out of the stairs outside the door and called Li Chuan, within three seconds he answered, "Hi."
"Are you in the hospital?"
"Coming."
"Why is it pink?"
"What pink?"
"The color of the phone."
"I thought girls liked pink."
"I'm not a 'kid' anymore."
"You're only seventeen."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-five. Is that too old?"
"Not old or old, not old at all. Thank you, I like it so much!" I called him sweetly, and happily took up the thread.
The next day was a great sunny day. The class is over, everyone is preparing for the exam, and I am no exception. I get up at seven o'clock, make a cup of strong tea and go to the library. The straight long window, the warm sunshine, I spread out the books, reviewing the textbooks and notes, very busy.
At noon, I walked out of the library to eat when my phone rang, and I heard a familiar voice:
"It's me, Li Chuan."
"Li Chuan? Are you discharged from the hospital?"
"Finally out. This doctor is an old friend of my father's, and he's killing me," he said. "Can you do me a favor this afternoon?"
"How can you help, tell me."
"I have a friend who opens a gallery today, can you go with me?"
"It's okay to go, but I don't know how to paint, will I look idiot standing there?"
"No, no, that's right. I don't want to go either, but I have a good relationship with him, so I can't refuse. The gallery opens at four o'clock, and people from the press will also come. He wants me to come on time to support the show. There is a reception at seven o'clock. He wants me to come to the party."
"That means we're going to be there for at least four hours."
"If you come to help, I won't have to stay four hours."
"Really? What kind of help?"
"Let's go at four o'clock. After an hour, you said you were dizzy, so we came out."
"Dizziness? Is it too fake?"
"Whether it's fake or not depends on how well you act."
"No problem, Li Chuan. Is there a dress code for the art exhibition? Evening dress or something."
"Yes, formal evening wear."
"Well, I'll do the acting, and you'll pay for the props."
"Have you got a meal yet?"
"No."
"Wait for me, I'll pick you up. Eat first, then go shopping for clothes."
"I'll wait for you at the school gate. I happen to be going to post a letter at the school gate."
Twenty minutes later, Li Chuan drove to pick me up. Wearing a pure black suit, black shirt, and purple tie, he looked slender, elegant and decent, coupled with his charming face, it was impeccably perfect. I thought that such a man, with only one leg, and just out of the hospital, would not be able to impress the painter and make him spend less time in the gallery. The burden on my shoulders is really heavy.
Li Chuan asked me if I wanted to eat Yunnan cuisine, and I said, I would like to eat sushi with him. He took me to a Japanese restaurant. He loves sashimi and I love chicken teriyaki. I asked him if he was busy, and he said that he had finished all the busy things in the hospital and handed in the work ahead of schedule. Afterwards we went to a clothing store whose name was French or Italian, I don't know. Li Chuan was sitting on the sidelines reading magazines, and I went to try on evening wear, and after trying on seven or eight pieces, they all became too big.
I asked Li Chuan, "What should I do?"
Li Chuan made a gesture to take me away, but the female boss said, "This lady is too small. If you don't mind, I can take you to the 'Youth Department' on the second floor."
Li Chuan frowned, and said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier, she is a teenager."
faint.
The female boss chose a pure black dress for me, with a circle of purple lace. I tried it on, not to mention the fit, but it was still a bit sexy. What era is this? Even girls' costumes are made like this. Li Chuan looked at me with a half-smile, and made an OK gesture, and the female boss took advantage of the situation to match me with tattooed breasts, handbags, and shoes. Finally, Li Chuan took out his credit card and said to me: "Do you know what I like most about you?"
what did I say?"
"You make decisions very quickly. If you were another woman, you wouldn't be able to choose a dress all afternoon."
"Did you choose clothes for other women?" I whispered while the female boss was swiping the card.
"Do I look like a virgin?"
I finished my makeup in the car and admired myself in the mirror. The car drove into a narrow alley, and Li Chuan took a shortcut. After exiting the crossing, a luxurious building appeared in front of my eyes. We got off at the gate, and he handed over the keys to the security guard, who drove the car into the garage for him.
"What's the style of your friend's painting?" It's not the Oscars ceremony, so I feel a little nervous.
"Oh, he is omo." Seeing that I was puzzled, he said again: "ostmodern, post-modern style."
I don't know anything about pre-modern, let alone post-modern.
"You don't need to say anything." He comforted me, "Just pretend to look at the paintings, and eat beef jerky when you're bored."
Before getting into the car, he bought me a bag of beef jerky, my favorite snack, to stuff in a new handbag. Along the way, Li Chuan said that I was still a little girl, because I like everything that sparkles. The handbag was adorned with a lot of light pieces, and it was really shiny in the hand.
"It's not appropriate," I said.
"What are you afraid of? This is a post-modern gallery." He leaned on a cane and focused on walking. I kept my head straight and followed him.
There is already a line of people standing at the door of the gallery. One of the young men with long hair and shawl walked over quickly: "Li Chuan!"
"I'm not late." Li Chuan went up to shake hands with him, and introduced me: "This is Miss Xie Xiaoqiu, a college student. This is Mr. Jiang Hengxi, a well-known painter."
We shake hands and say hello.
Beside Jiang Hengxi stood his wife, a young lady with a stunning face, her hair pulled up high, not messy at all, with a noble demeanor.
"Ji Lian," Li Chuan stretched out his hand, "Long time no see."
The two shook hands, and Li Chuan introduced, "This is Ms. Ye Jilian, a traditional Chinese painter."
"Nice to meet you." I said.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Ye Jilian smiled and came over to hold my hand: "Xiaoqiu, where did you go to college?"
"S Normal University."
Li Chuan coughed and quickly apologized. Ye Jilian immediately said, "Li Chuan, we have prepared a rest room for you. Do you need to rest now?"
"No, thanks."
At this time, another middle-aged man came, wearing a gray suit, with a mysterious and haughty expression. Ye Ji said quickly: "Let me introduce: this is Mr. Han Zixu, the owner of Zicao Gallery, a well-known painter, and an expert on ancient jade."
What year is this, why are people coming in and out of this place all "homes"!
Then Ye Jilian introduced Lichuan: "This is Mr. Wang Lichuan, the president of CG Architects, an architectural designer, a top student in the Harvard Department of Architecture, and the winner of the French AS-4 architectural design award last year. He has more than 20 projects in China. Design project. Li Chuan, do you need me to introduce your father and brother Ling by the way?"
Li Chuan shook his head: "No need."