Every night, the old refrigerator in the kitchen hums dully. Something is broken and the compressor starts every ten minutes. I reported it to the landlord multiple times and he refused to send someone to fix it. The reason is one, frequent startup does not mean that the refrigerator cannot work. Quite the contrary, this refrigerator keeps cold as usual. Second, the cost of repairing the refrigerator is too high, it is better to buy a new one, and he is not rich, so he is not prepared to spend the money.
I couldn't sleep over the hum, so I had to study the patterns on the ceiling. In the middle of the night, I frequently went to open the refrigerator to find things. It is thought that people will be sleepy when their stomachs are full, but this is not the case. I felt heartburn, stomach aches, a tightness in my chest, and I tossed and turned in bed until dawn.
For four consecutive weeks, I did not receive any calls from Li Chuan. The calls to him were always answered by nurses, and the answer was the same: "Mr. Wang is undergoing treatment, so it is not convenient to answer the phone." I sent a text message to René, and René told me that Li Chuan's condition was unstable, with ups and downs and frequent fevers. , The drug reaction is also very large, so I can't be discharged from the hospital. One of René's great strengths is that he is honest. If there is something he thinks should not be said, he will hide it, but he will not deliberately lie.
After four weeks of insomnia, I had migraines. I used to have this problem when I was writing papers or doing translation all night, but as soon as the pressure was relieved, the symptoms disappeared immediately. This time it was not like this, half of my head went numb during the attack, like a cramp. When I got off work on Tuesday, I had a splitting headache, bought a bottle of aspirin, and stopped by a blind massage parlor in the community.
The masseur, surnamed Xu, has been engaged in this industry in this area for seven years. People in the community, especially the grandparents and old ladies, all recognize him. Mr. Xu came to Beijing to work from a small town in Hunan. Apart from being blind in both eyes, he is tall and handsome. With this skill in massage, he rented a house on the first floor in the community and started a business. He did not do a good job, closed the door for a few days when he was tired, went out to drink tea and rest, and had no ambition to expand the business. So, not much money is earned. However, he has superb craftsmanship and considerate service, and repeat customers often come, and he has full arrangements for more than ten hours a day. In fact, there are quite a few massage parlors around the community, and everyone doesn't think it is special, because the fees are low, so many people patronize. But last year, a piece of news about him broke out in the community. He married a woman who lived in this community as his wife. Although the woman was divorced, she was good-looking, younger than him, and a university teacher. Everyone thinks that Mr. Xu is quite blessed.
"Relax, relax your shoulders. I will press the shoulders first, then the neck, and then the head...you can close your eyes during the whole process." Mr. Xu said to me in hypnotic Hunan Mandarin.
"I've been suffering from insomnia and headaches lately."
"Have you taken any medicine?"
"Do sleeping pills and aspirin count?"
"It's fine. If it's serious, you need to see a doctor." He said, "You haven't been here for a long time, almost half a year." It turned out that he could hear my voice.
I saw a black callus the size of an egg was ground on each of his elbows. In the past few years, he probably pressed tens of thousands of people.
The roots of his fingers are soft, sometimes very hard, slowly kneading along my meridians. I was about to close my eyes when I suddenly saw a kennel on his window sill, and there was a puppy in it. Chihuahua.
I'm not very interested in dogs, but I know that Emma likes dogs. She also has a chihuahua, which is expensive, and the monthly maintenance is also very expensive. It's not that she can't afford it, but she often complains during lunch, saying that this kind of dog is delicate and difficult to take care of.
I couldn't help asking him: "Ah, you have a Chihuahua?"
"Yeah." He was very proud, "isn't it cute?"
"It's very expensive!"
"It's a little low, a few thousand yuan."
God, I calculated in my mind, thousands of dollars, how much would he need to earn back.
"Your wife bought it?"
"I bought it. She liked it, so I bought it. We take him on our walks every day. The dog is so small that I almost lost it last time."
His face was filled with happiness.
I sighed heavily and asked, "Brother Xu, when we first fell in love, was it you who chased your wife, or your wife who chased you?"
"She was the one who chased me, and she chased me closely." He curled his lips together in a joking tone.
"Then, have you ever chased her a little bit?"
"No, not at all. I'm a foreigner, and I'm blind. I earn some money from my craft, and I'm satisfied with my life. I don't even dare to think about wives and children."
"So you keep rejecting her?"
"Well... it's almost like this. Later we got on, and it didn't matter who was chasing whom."
"Brother, I'm also chasing someone, but he refuses to agree."
"Then maybe they don't want to..."
"No, he's sick and doesn't want to hurt me."
"Then you chase after it hard."
"I tried my best and thought about everything, but people still ignored me."
Mr. Xu stopped, stood in front of me, and stared blankly at me with blank eyes: "If someone ignores you, don't tell me you won't? I think you still haven't tried your best."
How can I do my best for Li Chuan
After leaving the massage parlor, I went straight to my room and took out a passport from a drawer.
A few months ago, when I was still in Jiutong, Tang Yulian, who loved to earn extra money, helped me get a passport. She said that she had contacted several travel agencies in private and asked me if I would like to be a tour guide in my spare time, so that I could visit Xinmatai while earning extra money. I have earned a few extra dollars, but I have never been to Xinmatai. The passport was never used. I called Tang Yulian and begged her to apply for a Swiss tourist visa for me.
In the afternoon, according to her instructions, I filled out a few forms and bought a round-trip ticket to Zurich. After less than a week, the visa was approved.
"What are you going to do in Switzerland? There are so many interesting places in Europe. Let me introduce you to a tour group. How about visiting seven countries for 30,000 yuan?" Tang Yulian persuaded me on the phone.
"To see a friend."
"Just two days and one night? Isn't it too short? The round-trip ticket costs 7,000 yuan!"
"Work is tight, I can't stay longer, and there are still a few translators to be due when I come back."
"Okay, remember to go to the bank to change some Swiss francs, not euros. Some stores don't accept euros. Do you want me to book a hotel for you?"
"Please give me a few addresses, I want a cheap one, close to the airport. If I can't find another place to live, I will stay in a hotel."
Going abroad is a big deal for many people, but going abroad for two days is nothing more than a trip to Jiuzhaigou for me. I simply packed a few changes of clothes and got on the plane from Beijing to Zurich. Departs at 5:30 pm on Wednesday and arrives at 6:10 am Zurich time. Before leaving, I sent a message to René's MSN, telling him my departure time and flight number, and if it's convenient, please ask him to pick me up at the airport. Although Ji Chuan and René were avoiding me during this time. But every time I send a message René will reply, although the answer may be very short. It doesn't matter if René doesn't get the message, I'll treat this trip as self-guided.
In fact, I don't expect to see Li Chuan at all, I just want to see the city where Li Chuan lives, and I am satisfied.
At dawn, the plane crossed the morning mist and forests and hills, and arrived at Zurich Airport on time. I don't have any big luggage, just a small suitcase that I carry with me. Then I followed the brigade and took the express tram from the second terminal to the first terminal to exit the customs.
There are not many passengers in the airport, it looks very empty. The square seating, the cold marble floor, and the black modern sculpture all give people a sense of alienation. The tall steel zenith and the futuristic gray tone make people feel like they have stepped into a space world. Fortunately, when I went up and down the elevator, I could see the huge red walls, the warm lights in the bar, and several glass curtain walls planted with green vines, which made me feel like I was back in the East.
The customs inspection went very smoothly, and the exit gate was full of pick-up people. Many people held signs high.
I didn't see René.
After waiting at the exit for more than three hours, René was still nowhere to be seen. I started to blame myself for being reckless. I thought that if I sent a message to René, I would definitely receive it. René may be busy or forget to open MSN. What's more, he is still a night owl and sleeps until noon during the day.
It was almost noon, and I was hungry, so I went to a small bar not far away to buy food. I didn't recognize any of the dishes on the signboard, so I randomly ordered one. Not to mention the thieves are expensive, but what I got in my hand was a sandwich no bigger than a palm. I finished eating in three bites, and I didn't dare to stay in the bar for a long time, for fear that René would not find me when he came, so I still waited at the exit.
I waited until one o'clock in the afternoon, and finally couldn't sit still. He ran to the phone booth and called Li Chuan.
The phone rang twice and got connected.
"Guteng Tucker." A beautiful and deep male voice.
It's a bit unusual, it's not a nurse, but Li Chuan answered the phone directly.
"Li Chuan!"
"Xiaoqiu?" The ending sound was high and rising, in a surprised tone.
"Well, it's me. I need to talk to René about something, do you have his phone number?"
"Yes," he said, "René and Ji Chuan are in Italy, do you have something urgent to do with him?"
I was dumbfounded: "René... in Italy? I... don't have anything urgent,... it's a matter of translation."
"He just left yesterday," he said after a pause, "If it's about translation, it's the same if you ask me."
"It has nothing to do with you, goodbye, let's talk next time." I was about to hang up the phone.
"Wait!" There was a loud shout from over there.
"What's the matter?"
"Where are you?" he asked grimly.
"Where else? Beijing, CG office."
"Why does the phone ID say Zurich Airport?"
It's over, it's over! Woo! I categorically denied it: "Impossible, I am obviously in Beijing. There is something wrong with your phone, I will hang up—"
"Xie Xiaoqiu, don't hang up!" Li Chuan interrupted me impatiently, and asked in a rough voice, "Are you at Zurich Airport?"
"... Well. I'm here for sightseeing, and I'm leaving tomorrow." My voice lowered a few degrees involuntarily, "I, I didn't come to look for you."
"Do you have a pen with you?" he said, his tone suddenly strangely calm.
"have… "
"Write it down: XXXXXXXXX, this is my mobile phone number." Then, he reported another series of German words, spelling the letters to me one by one, "This is my house number. There is a spare key on the right side of the door In the cushion of the flower pot. In case I don't find you, you come to me on your mobile phone, or go directly to my house, remember?"
"Li Chuan... don't come looking for me. I—"
"Let me ask you, have you remembered what I said just now?"
"take note of it."
"How to get to my house, do you know?"
"Take... take the bus?"
"fool!"
"Subway?"
"fool!"
"Take... take a taxi?"
"That's about the same. Do you have any Swiss francs with you?"
"have."
"Show the driver the address and say 'Fahren Sie mich bitte zu diesel Adresse!' and he will take you to my door."
"Say it too fast to remember. Repeat?"
"Forget it, don't take a taxi, and beware of scammers. If you haven't seen me after thirty minutes, just call me every five minutes, okay?"
"OK."
"Now, you're at the exit, aren't you?"
"Um."
"Don't go anywhere, I'll pick you up, it will probably take thirty minutes." Li Chuan threatened me from the other end, "If I don't hear from you or your call, I will call the police, you know? If you are missing or if something happens, I will jump off the building immediately, do you understand?"
"Listen, I understand."
The phone hangs up. I breathed a sigh of relief and went to the small bar to buy an ice cream. Only then did I remember that I had been waiting at the exit for six hours, and my legs were sore.
Thirty minutes later, Li Chuan really appeared at the airport. He was sitting in a small and light wheelchair and was about to enter through the electric glass door.
Walking or sitting in the airport lobby, there are countless men in suits. But I was able to recognize Li Chuan the first second he appeared, and at the same time, a famous line from the poet Pound flashed in my mind:
The ghostly faces of these faces appeared in the crowd, and the petals were counted on the wet black branches.
For me, Li Chuan is the only light among the wet crowd. I stared at him intently, feeling a wave of love and hatred in my heart. How many days have we not seen each other? Eighty days! Every time we parted, it was so long, long enough to forget his appearance, long enough for all hatred to disappear, all wounds to heal, and it became love again in a blink of an eye.
Li Chuan was still so eye-catching. Wherever he went, pedestrians looked sideways. He was wearing a casual suit, his hair was bristled with hairspray, and against his well-defined face, he was thinner and more attractive. When Li Chuan saw me, a smile suddenly appeared on his stern face.
"Hi! Li Chuan!" I picked up the box and ran towards him.
When I got in front of him, I suddenly stopped and stopped at an arm's length away from him.
He ignored me for four weeks, wondering if Li Chuan's anger has subsided. I must have upset him again by coming here rashly. What kind of etiquette is more appropriate to meet in this situation? Embrace? Or shake hands
After hesitating, Li Chuan stretched out his arms to me: "Come here, brash little girl. Welcome to Zurich."
I threw myself into his arms. Li Chuan hugged me vigorously, and stabbed my face hard with his stubble-grown chin. I touched his thin face and giggled: "The beard has grown."
"I'm afraid I won't be able to catch you, and it's too late to scratch." He hugged me again, holding me tightly, and I was a little out of breath. At the same time, I couldn't figure out whether it was because he couldn't stand still that he needed to hug me, or it was him. Just want to hug me. In short, almost one-third of his weight was on me, and I wrapped his waist around his waist, supporting him motionless.
Li Chuan was too light and very thin. But he looks very energetic, but his movements are far less agile than when he was healthy, and he still wears the plastic bracelet of a hospital patient on his wrist.
I looked at him with a dull pain in my heart.
"Are you taking the one that arrives at 6:10 in the morning?" he asked me.
"Um."
"So, you have been waiting here for seven full hours?"
"It's not that long..."
"Are you hungry?"
"Ate a sandwich."
"It's okay, I'm not stupid enough."
He took me out of the terminal and the car was parked on the side of the road. A foreigner who looked like a driver spoke German to me. Li Chuan introduced: "This is my grandfather's driver, Finn. He said hello." I greeted him in English, and the driver obviously understood and smiled at me. Smiled, very shy.
Li Chuan opened the car door, covered my head with his hand, and sent me into the car. He then sat in. I found the seat belt, Li Chuan took it over and said, "I'll do it." He grabbed the armrest on the roof with one hand, and found the buckle with the other to fasten it for me. I stared blankly at him busying himself with me. They are so sick, yet such a gentleman.
The interior of the car is very spacious, and Li Chuan's long legs can actually be straightened.
I'm a little shy and embarrassed to speak. He kept regretting in his heart that he shouldn't have called Li Chuan and called him out of the hospital. If his family knew about it, they wouldn't know how they would blame me.
Seeing that I didn't say a word, Li Chuan asked, "Are you tired after waiting in the airport for so long?"
"Not tired."
"Why didn't you call me earlier?"
"I... didn't intend to disturb you, I've been waiting for René." Afraid that he wouldn't believe me, I took out a colorful ticket, "Look, I even bought a ticket for a sightseeing bus."
He took the ticket and studied it in his hand: "I've lived here for so long, and I don't even know what a sightseeing bus ticket looks like."
"Don't drop it, I have to use it tomorrow." I took back the ticket, put it in my pocket, and took out another card and handed it to him, "My friend introduced me to several hotels, all of which are very close to the airport. It's close. You can help me with my staff, which one is better?"
He looked at the card and asked me, "What is 'good'?"
"Breakfast is included and there is a bathroom. It's best not to exceed two hundred Swiss francs a day. By the way, how many volts is your voltage here?"
"Two hundred and twenty volts."
"Thank goodness. I can safely turn on the computer."
He smiled: "The plan is quite thoughtful. If I don't stop you, you will have a day trip to Zurich, right?"
"Emma has been to Honduras self-guided tours."
He suddenly took out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and coughed lightly.
"Do you want some water?" I took out a bottle of mineral water issued on the plane from my bag and stuffed it into his hand.
"No, thank you."
After a while, he said, "Since you're here, let's stay longer."
No matter how old you are, you can tell that this is not a very warm invitation, and the tone is calm and lukewarm.
"I have bought a return ticket and will return to Beijing tomorrow afternoon."
"The ticket can be changed."
"I will definitely go back tomorrow. There are things in the unit that cannot be delayed."
"Immutable?"
"Um."
I don't know whether he breathed a sigh of relief or sighed, he changed the subject: "Then you don't eat vegetarian food these two days, okay? The delicious food here is not vegetarian. The vegetarian ones are not delicious, and they are not as good as those in Beijing. The vegetarian restaurant is delicious."
"How do you know I love food? Why can't I love something else?"
I have to admit that the happiest time with Li Chuan is cooking together, or eating out, my mouth sticks, his mouth picks, we both have a way of ordering and torturing the chef in restaurants.
"You have two hobbies. This one is easier to satisfy. I will try my best to satisfy you."
I turned to look at him, feeling baffled: "I have two hobbies, why don't I know about them?"
He looked ahead, with a half-smile: "You know, but you just didn't realize it."
I looked at him blankly, thinking, and when I lowered my head, I found that my hand had been quietly placed on his lap at some point. Sweating... Kuang Sweat... Lushan Waterfall Sweat... It's really a habit of nympho. I quickly withdrew my hand.
"Now realize?"
"I thought it was the armrest." I didn't change my face, calm and composed.
We will soon be in downtown Zurich. Li Chuan explained to the driver, and the car stopped. He took me to the street. There's a huge hot dog shop across the street that sells all kinds of fried sausages. The flue-cured smoke spreads and is mouth-watering.
While queuing up, Li Chuan said, "This restaurant is called Sternen Grill. I used to like to eat here when I was still a high school student. My dad said it was unhealthy, so I secretly ate it, two a day, and refused to eat at night."
There are quite a lot of customers, a long counter, and several chefs in white clothes are constantly busy. The team only waited two minutes before it was their turn. Li Chuan bought me a blackened sausage and a piece of bread. The master rolled up the paper and handed it to me.
"Would you like mustard?" Li Chuan pointed to the cups of yellow mustard on the side.
"need."
He also bought me a can of beer and walked me slowly down the street to the parking lot.
The sausage is fragrant and spicy, it is really delicious. What's more, I was also hungry. When I walked into the car, I ate up before I could sit still, and I was still sucking my fingers.
The recommendation was affirmed, and Li Chuan smiled proudly: "Is it enough? Do you want more?—It seems that you are really hungry."
"I'm full." I happily patted my stomach and started to drink beer. It's pleasant, but bewildered, to watch the car drive south along a boulevard. Both ends of the boulevard are packed with boutiques, department stores and cafes. At the end is a big lake. There are piers, boats, and crowded white houses on both sides of the lake. The green hills on the lake are also dotted with various dwellings. In the distance you can see faint forests and snow-capped mountains.
"Li Chuan, where are we going?"
"go home."
go home. My heart pounded. which home? Li Chuan's home
Of course Li Chuan has his own residence in Zurich. However, having known Li Chuan for so long, he seldom talked about his own affairs, and he seldom mentioned Zurich. People who didn't know thought that he had been abused since he was a child, which left him with spiritual trauma. In fact, Li Chuan was not very talkative, and he could only call his elder brother for a minute at most. Moreover, both my parents died, and he tried to avoid such topics as much as possible so as not to arouse my sadness.
"Have you been discharged from the hospital?"
"No. I slipped out. Since you're here, it's a rare opportunity. I can't let you stay with me in the hospital. "
"I would like to stay with you in the hospital," I looked at him worriedly, "Your illness is not completely cured, I don't want you to spend energy to accompany me, it will be very tiring."
"Not tired," he said, "everything has a driver."
The car drove up to the hills by the lake and parked in a quiet courtyard surrounded by oak trees. Facing a huge lawn, spring flowers on both sides are blooming in the shade. The driveway crosses the lawn and leads to a two-story white villa. The length of the ground floor is almost three times that of the upper floor. From a distance, it looks like a capital letter L.
Sure enough, it was Li Chuan's house, and there were disabled-only passages on both sides of the main entrance. Li Chuan said a few words to Finn, and he drove away. I carried the suitcase and followed Li Chuan into the room.
The interior design is very modern, spacious and clear, simple tones, no door frames and cabinets, only some of the most necessary furniture. There are several rows of niches scattered on the wall, and there are artworks collected from everywhere, mostly oriental: Buddha statues, blue and white porcelain jars, bronze wine cups, wood carvings... every corner is spotless.
"So clean?" I couldn't help but think of the black buildup on the tiles in my own kitchen. It was there when the landlord handed over the house, and no matter how much you brush it, you can’t get it off. Li Chuan has a cleanliness habit, but he is by no means a person who cleans every day. He has been hospitalized for a while, and the house should have been empty for a few months.
"Someone comes to clean it every day," he said, "just sign a contract with the cleaning company."
I nodded, and said, "You didn't design this house, did you?" Li Chuan was not that ostentatious, and he wouldn't make a big fuss about his own initials.
"The interior was mainly designed by my brother. The bathroom and kitchen were designed by my cousin. The second floor was designed by my grandmother. The garden was designed by my grandmother, and the swimming pool was designed by my grandfather. This L shape is my dad's masterpiece - he said so It's easy for people to find me."
Although it is not Li Chuan's work, the design of the villa fully caters to Li Chuan's taste, mixing French romance, German rigor and Italian creativity. Li Chuan likes large and tall spaces, glass, wooden floors, colorful sofas and black and white furniture. The area of the first floor is quite large, and there are several halls. I think it is more than enough to cram the entire CG people into the office. He guided me to visit the halls one by one, then sat down on the sofa and opened the floor-to-ceiling curtains with the remote control.
"So, which part did you design?" I asked.
"Everyone is scrambling to design, and it's not my turn." He shrugged, "If you want to see my work, you have to go to my brother's house. I think it is better than my own. I also designed for them. A wine cellar. They live not far from here, just a walk away. Want to go? I've got the key."
I shook my head with a faint smile, a little jealous. If I had an older sister or a younger sister, maybe I could have such a close relationship. After his father passed away, Xiaodong suddenly grew up and became a man. He still cared about me very much, but he talked less and less, saw each other for a short time, and was preoccupied with such things when making phone calls. . When people grow up, they have their own lives, and there is a sense of proportion in that kind of intimacy and friendship.
"Then what would you like to drink?"
"Is there any coffee?" I was a little sleepy.
"Do you want?"
"You can do it?"
"There is a machine. Do you want to come and see it?"
He took me to the kitchen. Get out a fine coffee mug and place it on top of your coffee maker to preheat. There are fresh coffee beans in the refrigerator. He took out a bag, ground a small bowl, and made a small cup of Espresso first. I find it too bitter. He steamed the milk and made me a real cappino. After pouring a thick layer of milk foam, he stroked it lightly with a chopstick, and the foam separated and turned into a leaf. Then dipped the chopsticks into the coffee and tapped it a few times, and the leaf turned into a rabbit again.
"You will do this too?" I stared at him with wide eyes, surprised.
"My grandfather taught me. He is the best at drawing many kinds. The love letters back then were all written on foam."
"You teach me, okay?"
"Learn the easy ones first. The key is to pour the milk."
He made two more cappinos, took my hand, poured thick milk into the coffee, and stopped suddenly after it was full. He handed me the chopsticks again, and his arm came up from behind, grabbed my right hand, and taught me step by step.
"It's like this... one swipe to the left, one swipe to the right. Then a little lower, it's done."
A faint smell of coffee came from behind, intentionally or unintentionally, his face brushed across my forehead, so familiar intimacy, instantly. I couldn't help but turn my head and looked up, his lips were waiting for me there. However, when I approached, he stepped back and avoided it. After so many years, Li Chuan is still full of temptations for me, he always surprises me, I never seem to know what else he will have.
I drew a total of three dolls, I drank a cup, Li Chuan drank a cup, the rest he had to throw away, I ordered it to be made into iced coffee and put in the refrigerator. Holding the cup, I sat on the bar stool in the kitchen, watching Li Chuan carefully tidy up the counter. When he entered the house, he took off his prosthetic leg, and he didn’t bother to use a cane when he was busy in the kitchen. He hopped on one leg. I felt dizzy, so I said to him, “You can rest for a while, okay?”
He picked up his crutches and asked me: "There is a garden behind, do you want to see it?"
I pointed to the ceiling: "What is going upstairs?"
Li Chuan's study, drawing room and bedroom are all upstairs. The stairs were wide and long, covered with non-slip carpets, and there was a handrail specially designed for him. I was a bit surprised why Li Chuan built a house with stairs, it was inconvenient for him to go up and down. But when I got to the second floor, I understood. The second floor is facing the big lake, with white sails and flocks of wild ducks on the lake. In the distance, there are clouds and smoke, and green hills are faint. Looking out from the sofa, you can have a panoramic view of the big lake, the sky without shore, the sky, the clouds and shadows.
"Lakevie is so good, and there are mountains behind it. The house price must be scary, right?"
"It's quite expensive, but I didn't spend any money," he blinked. "My grandpa gave it to me as a birthday present."
I stuck out my tongue: "Then you... have the nerve to ask for it?"
"Sorry," he said, "I can't refuse. Hehe."
"Which is your bedroom?" I asked.
"The bedroom is not allowed to be visited." He hurried to a room and closed the door.
"Why can't we visit? Could it be that there is still a woman sleeping inside?" I snatched it up, opened the door a crack, and poked my head in.
Li Chuan's bedroom is black and white. Black bed frame, white wardrobe. Purple quilt, white sheets, piled with seven or eight light gray pillows.
On the wall opposite the bed was a twelve-inch photo in a purple frame. The background is the street lights in the distance, and behind it is the Golden Horse Square in Kunming. Li Chuan inside was facing me sideways, helping me brush a strand of hair floating on my face. Eyes full of love. This is the only photo of Li Chuan and me together. When I left, I didn't even leave it to me, and even took the negatives with me. For this reason, I complained for a long time.
During those five years, I recalled Li Chuan bitterly, but his figure slipped through my fingers like a handful of sand that I couldn't grasp. His features became increasingly blurred in memory. Just because I don't have a photo of him in my hand. On the Internet, I only googled a postage stamp-sized avatar, which is very low-resolution, but it has been saved in the computer. This small and fuzzy portrait is all the clues for me to recall Li Chuan in the past five years.
I stared at the group photo silently, and the past events flashed scene by scene.
All those years of torture suddenly turned into sweetness.
There is a white lamp on the bedside table. Next to it are three palm-sized photo frames. The bright colors and lively location are the solo photos taken by Li Chuan six years ago. I was seventeen years old, wearing all kinds of skirts. I was so young at that time, with a childish face, I really looked like a high school student. He thought he was the happiest person in the world, with a sunny face and a bright smile, and he did not hesitate in front of the camera.
Immediately afterwards, my heart tightened.
There is a stainless steel drip stand on the right side of the big bed, and the intravenous infusion apparatus is installed on the stand. There are two oxygen cylinders on the ground. There are several bottles of medicine and a blood pressure monitor in the low cabinet next to it. Above the head of the bed, there is also a triangular hanging ring for the patient to get up.
It seems that this is not only Li Chuan's bedroom, but also his ward. The years when Li Chuan was bedridden for a long time were probably spent here.
Close the door and go back to the living room on the second floor. Li Chuan did not know when he was sitting on the sofa, looking silently at the distant lake water through the long glass window and meditating.
"Li Chuan—"
I called him and sat beside him. He looked up at me with complicated eyes, a heavy heart, hesitant to speak.
"I know you're sick, and it's not serious." I whispered in his ear, "You don't want to tell me because you don't want me to worry."
He didn't speak, and silently touched my face with his hand.
I found his lips and kissed him intently. He didn't respond, but twisted his chin stubbornly, trying to avoid me.
"But, do you know that if you are cruel to yourself, you are also cruel to me? If you don't tell me, won't I be worried? I would rather know the truth than have insomnia every night and nightmare every day like now. Lek Chuan, I beg you to tell me! Tell me what disease you have?" I hugged him, shook his body, and sobbed.
"Xiao Qiu, I wish you didn't know. Besides, it doesn't help the matter." He said calmly, with a cold voice, "After you go back, don't come to Zurich again."
"No!"
"I beg you."
I let him go, sneered, and said, "Then, are you planning to hide here forever and not return to Beijing?"
"..."
"Is it true that my trip is another farewell?"
"..."
"If I tell you that I can't stand it anymore, will you show some mercy?"
As if thinking for a long time, he comforted me: "...I will go back to Beijing. I will do what I promised you."
"Then what?"
He shook his head: "No then. You have to remember your oath in front of Guan Gong Temple."
I wilted. Holding his hands on his knees, without saying a word, weeping in frustration.
He didn't come to comfort me, and his body remained stiff.
After a while, I wiped away my tears, jumped up suddenly, and said loudly: "No! Li Chuan! I won't do it! I won't fulfill my oath! Let Guan Gong go to hell! Let the thunder strike me! Let the flood cover me! He hastily covered my mouth, his eyes seemed to be on fire: "Do you want me to say something that hurts you, Xiaoqiu?"
"Have you said enough to hurt me? Say it! Keep talking!"
"Xie Xiaoqiu, please," he stared at my face and said word for word, "stop pestering me."
I stopped breathing for an instant. All the blood rushed to the head. I stared at him blankly for three seconds, then turned around suddenly, and strode out the door. He walked too fast and tripped on the sofa. He stood up quickly and grabbed me tightly.
"Where are you going?"
"Are you concerned?" I sneered and shook his hand away. He held me tight, his hands clasping my wrist like iron pliers.
"Don't go anywhere!" He pulled me into his arms, "Did you hear that? Xie Xiaoqiu! You ran away, I... can't catch up with you."
His voice was hoarse, and veins appeared on his forehead. Fearing that I would run away, the other hand was still holding my clothes tightly. In fact, not only was he unable to catch up, but he couldn't even stand still. Just now, when I struggled hard, he almost staggered. If I hadn't blocked him, he would have fallen down.
I looked into his eyes, raised my face, and said in a trembling voice: "Li Chuan, don't think that I can be easily insulted. If you slap me and call me a bitch, I will leave immediately. Really, never Not coming back. Do you want to try?"
He stood motionless, his eyes were dark and turbulent, and his thoughts came like clouds and shadows.
"I'm sorry..." he murmured, "I'm sorry..."
My heart seemed to be pricked by a needle. He looked very pitiful, more desperate than me.
"Li Chuan, I will give you whatever you want. If you insist on my leaving, I will agree." I said softly, "But before I leave, I must be sure that you will live better without me. Are you like this? You are so sick and so thin, and you are far away from the time when we met. Li Chuan, how do you let me leave you at ease? Tell me!"
I cupped his face and kissed him passionately. He resisted helplessly and stubbornly. He suddenly sighed, put his arms around my shoulders, and gently rubbed the back of my neck with the tip of his nose. Warm and hot breath, itchy blowing, there is a faint smell of coffee. I put my arms around his waist. He wanted to break free, but I held him tightly, and in a moment, he simply snuggled up.
"No..." He was still dodging, trying to stop him, but was weak.
"No!" He said again with a straight face, looking annoyed. I want to let go, but it's too late.
"Okay." I withdrew my hand, left him, and sat down obediently.
He looked at me fiercely, his eyes were burning, his throat was dry, and he strongly suppressed: "You, you are like this."
"Then what else?" I stared at him, spreading my hands, "You don't even want it when it's delivered to your door."
He picked up his crutches, turned around and went to the bedroom: "I'm going to change clothes."
The room temperature was less than 22 degrees, but Li Chuan looked like he had run 800 meters and was dripping with sweat.
He entered the door with his front foot, and I followed him. He turned around and saw me again, he was out of breath: "I'm changing clothes, what are you doing here?"
"Watch you change."
He froze for a second and asked, "What's there to see?"
"Just want to see."
"I don't want to die?"
"He is very kind, see if you need help." I am very sincere.
"Oh, help?" He gave me a strange look, and said in a tone, "I need help very much." After that, he walked into an open U-shaped wardrobe, with rows of suits and shirts hanging in it. He casually took out a white T-shirt and a pair of denim shorts that were washed white, and stuffed them into my hand: "Take it."
Then, in front of me, he took off his clothes one by one. In the end, only a vest and a pair of shorts were left.
"Have you seen enough?"
"No," I handed him the T-shirt, smiling broadly, "continue."
He ignored me, sat down on the couch, and started pulling on his pants. Then, took off the watch and handed it to me:
"Take off your watch, please."
I put the watch on my wrist, and he took off the sock and stuffed it for me.
"Hey, why did you let me take your dirty socks?"
"Throw it in the laundry basket over there."
When he threw the socks into the laundry basket, he had already put on his trousers, but he tore off the belt and handed it to me: "Change another belt. Over there, the brown one."
I found the belt and fastened it for him, and he said, "By the way, I forgot the wallet in the suit." I found the wallet and put it in his trouser pocket: "What else do you want, master?"
"Mobile phone and keys."
"Oh... where?"
"On that cabinet."
"It's just a foot away from you, can't you take it by yourself?"
"I'm disabled."
He took it over to him angrily: "Have you finished calling?"
He pointed to the ground: "Crutches."
Finally, I looked at him from beginning to end: "Did you change your clothes?"
"It's changed. Don't keep staring at my legs, will you?"
"I'm looking at the healthy one."
"You are not allowed to look."
"It will be windy outside for a while, so you won't catch cold if you wear so little?" The weather in Zurich is abnormal these days. Although it is only mid-April, it is as hot as dog days. Li Chuan was not only wearing short sleeves and shorts, he was also barefoot. Straight and slender legs, slightly arched insteps, white ankles are exposed, and dark blue flip-flops are wrapped with red straps. Stunning. Immediately, my brain short-circuited and my eyes froze: "Do you have low back pain? Give me a massage at night. Free service, great enjoyment."
"Come on," he sneered, still annoyed by what happened just now, "don't get bored with me. How did you read the books all these years? It's like following you into a spider hole when you see you."
"It's Pansi Cave." I corrected. I told this person about the entire "Journey to the West", but in the end it was all about memorization.
Before he could answer, I said, "I'm going to change my clothes too. I'm not as good-looking as you, but I have a nice skirt that can compare with you." I bounced downstairs, and I picked up the clothes from the luggage. A white blouse with wisps of flowers and a long light purple skirt were taken out of the box. Seeing Li Chuan coming down the stairs, I said, "Li Chuan, help me buckle the back."
A row of mandarin duck buttons on the jacket are all on the back, with more than a dozen buttons densely packed. Halfway through the buckle, the shoulders suddenly sank, and Li Chuan's head fell on my neck. He started to kiss me from behind, his chin pressed against the collarbone, and his warm breath rushed towards my face. While kissing, she said, "No, there are so many buttons that can't be fastened... It's too fragrant."
After all, he twisted my body recklessly and held my face with both hands. For a moment, he was confused: "Xiaoqiu, how long do you want to torture me? Hmm?"
"I'm going to ask you this." I looked up, unyielding.
He stared into my eyes, love and hate: "Are you finished?"
"It's not over."
"Stop seducing me!"
"non-stop."
"Don't call me from now on!"
"If you want to fight, you can fight when you have time."
"I won't answer!"
"Fly to Zurich if you don't pick up..."
He gags me. Involuntarily I threw my head back, hitting the alcove behind me. A white jade bowl that was translucent fell out, and with a "ding dong", it broke into several pieces.
"It can't be real jade!" I looked at the fragments on the ground in fear.
"Jadeware from the Kangxi period."
"Woo!" I wailed.
"Do you hate me?" He asked resentfully, the sweat from the tip of his nose dripping onto my face.
"do not like you!"
He was irritated, and I couldn't help being a little worried: "Li Chuan, don't do this, you will hurt yourself."
"Then you promise me, don't come to me again!"
"No, I want your child."
He gave a muffled "hmm" and didn't speak. After a long time, I got up and took me to the bathroom to take a shower.
I looked at him quietly, and suddenly said, "Li Chuan, give me a good day, okay? Even if it's just a bubble, I want it too."
His cheeks tightened and he didn't answer.