Lake Zurich in the sunset is blue, with a red light at the end of the horizon.
There was a dim lamp in the room. The surrounding area is very quiet, and the sound of the waves can be heard in the distance.
In such a strange place, surrounded by such familiar people. I couldn't sleep, I looked at Li Chuan with a lot of thoughts, thinking about his illness, thinking about our future with no end. Tomorrow will be parting again.
Li Chuan in his sleep hugged me tightly, holding my hand from beginning to end. I know how much he longs to be with me. In a trance, several hours passed, and suddenly there was a doorbell downstairs.
I took off my pajamas, put on the T-shirt with the Peking Opera face, tied a ponytail casually, and went downstairs to open the door.
On the porch stood a tall, thin old man with a gentleman's cane in his hand. Silver-haired, hale and hearty, well-dressed, and extraordinary. I couldn't help but think that he must have been handsome when he was young, and even when he was old, he must be handsome. Beside the old man stood a young foreign girl with long chestnut hair pulled up high and a box in her hand.
It must be an important relative of Li Chuan. I was a little nervous, and my voice trembled uncontrollably: "Excuse me—are you two looking for Li Chuan?" I spoke English.
"Yes." The old gentleman's attitude was very kind, "Is he at home?"
"He's asleep. Come in, and I'll wake him up."
The two entered the house, but the room was dark. I looked around for the light switch.
"Here." The old man turned on the light for me. The room was suddenly bright as day.
I went upstairs to call Li Chuan, but the old man stopped me suddenly: "Since he is asleep, don't wake him up."
I felt very uncomfortable and a little wronged. I was a guest and I had to entertain guests.
"Then... please sit down."
The old man sat down on the sofa casually, crossing his legs. With his eyes, he motioned for the girl to sit down too. I glanced upstairs, but there was no movement at all, and I didn't know when Li Chuan would wake up.
"Mr.," I sat upright, "what's your name?"
"My surname is Wang," he said, "I am Li Chuan's grandfather. This is Miss Elena. May I ask who you are..."
Li Chuan's grandfather! My heart stopped beating for five seconds.
"My name is Annie, and I'm Li Chuan's colleague in China."
"Oh!" The old man was very happy, and switched to Chinese: "You are from China!"
"Yes, this is my first time in Switzerland." I replied respectfully.
"When did it arrive?"
"Just arrived not long ago."
"Well," said the old man, "Li Chuan is really outrageous. Why did he go to sleep when the guests came? Well, I'll treat you for him. Annie, what do you want to drink? Li Chuan should have Good tea and coffee."
Probably in order to take care of Elena who doesn't understand Chinese, the old man switched to English.
"Don't worry, I've already had a drink."
"Eleena, why don't you put the drip on him now while he's asleep?" the old man asked the girl, "He has a guest, can you hurry up? Give him a little time to accompany the guest?"
It turned out that she was Li Chuan's nurse. Sure enough, she took off her coat, revealing a standard nurse uniform.
"No, Mr. Wang." The nurse replied in poor English, "Alex's cardiopulmonary function is not very good, not only can't speed up the drip rate, but also slow it down as appropriate. He can only lie in bed tonight."
The old man frowned: "How long will it take?"
"There are two bottles of medicine in total, and it will take ten hours in total."
"Okay. Please be gentle, don't wake him up. If he wakes up, he will come to me to settle the score." The old man winked at me and smiled apologetically.
The nurse quietly went upstairs with the medicine box.
The old man turned around and spoke Chinese to me: "Little girl, which Chinese branch do you belong to?"
"I'm from the Beijing headquarters."
"Then what line of work do you do? Interior? Garden? Exterior?"
"Mr. Wang, I am Li Chuan's translator."
"Ah, Li Chuan's translator, your surname is Zhu, right?"
"You mean Miss Zhu Bixuan, right? She married to America. I'm Li Chuan's new translator."
"Oh," he sighed, "this kid is really, he clearly said that he can't go to work during his illness, why did he call the interpreter again?"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm just here for sightseeing and I'm leaving tomorrow." I quickly explained. I regret that I dressed too casually: T-shirt, denim shorts, bare feet, living in the "boss"'s house very casually, somewhat suspicious of ambiguity.
"Did Li Chuan pick you up at the airport?" He asked.
Sure enough, I was suspicious. There is something in the words, and there is mystery in it.
Just thinking about how to answer, Elena suddenly walked down the stairs in frustration.
The old gentleman asked quickly: "What's the matter? What happened?"
"I had just filled the drip, disinfected it, and was about to get the needle when Alex woke up." She said in a trembling voice, "He was very angry and refused to let me get the needle. He said he had already signed the informed consent form. He also said that if I did this again Do it, he will find a lawyer to sue the hospital."
The old gentleman stood up abruptly, tapped the floor with his cane, and shouted towards the stairs:
"Wang Lichuan, come down for me!"
Unexpectedly, the gentle and gentle old man would have such a high voice when he got angry.
A minute later, Li Chuan appeared at the stairs.
"Grandpa." Holding on to his crutches, he went downstairs slowly and walked up to the old gentleman: "I have a guest today, so you won't even give me a day?"
"You have to have an infusion today," the old man said without giving in. "I will arrange how the guest wants to play, and she will be satisfied."
"We're going out tonight, and she hasn't had dinner yet."
"I'm not hungry." I said quickly.
Li Chuan gave me a fierce look.
"What do you want to eat? Western food? Chinese food? I'll call the chef to cook at your house."
"Grandpa, I told Dad that I'm going back to the hospital tomorrow night, why bother forcing me?"
"It's not that I'm trying to make things difficult, Dr. Herman called me, and you need an infusion today."
"No." Li Chuan took my hand and went straight to the door to pick up the car keys.
"Li Chuan! Stop for me!"
"Grandpa," Li Chuan turned around and said slowly, "I have to go out today, don't stop me."
The air was so stagnant that it could drip oil.
The old man looked at Li Chuan motionlessly, with an angry expression on his face: "You are not allowed to go anywhere today, just stay at home honestly!"
Li Chuan opened his mouth, but didn't say a word for a long time. After a moment of silence, he suddenly whispered to me: "Xiaoqiu, go upstairs and wait for me. Grandpa and I want to have a few words."
I glanced at him nervously, walked upstairs lightly, and sat down in Li Chuan's bedroom.
Ten minutes later, Li Chuan came upstairs and called me: "Xiaoqiu, put on a floral dress, let's go have a big meal."
"Where's your grandpa?" I asked in panic, "Won't grandpa be angry?"
"he's gone."
"Where... the nurse?"
"Leave too."
"What did you and grandpa say? Will he agree to let you go?"
"Don't worry about it." Li Chuan said, "I have a way to deal with him."
"Go by yourself, I'm not going anywhere." I sat on the bed in silence.
"Come on, Xiaoqiu."
Li Chuan pulled me to the locker room, saw that I refused to move, and helped me change my clothes. Cut off the logo with scissors, and put on the floral skirt I bought in the afternoon. He even chose a strapless bra for me. Seeing that I didn't cooperate at all, he had to sit down and help me put on my high heels. Finally, I recombed my hair with a large comb, sprayed it with mousse, and tied it into a high ponytail. I was amused by his seriousness.
"Does it look good?" I posed a pose and asked him.
"You look good in anything you wear." He smiled.
I looked at him and saw that he was still wearing his afternoon T-shirt and asked, "What about you?"
"Wait outside, I'll change clothes and come out right away."
After a while, a freshly dressed Li Chuan appeared in front of me. A pure white linen shirt, dark gray slacks, trouser legs ironed straight, exuding a faint fragrance from top to bottom. Very casual, very aristocratic.
I sighed secretly in my heart, Li Chuan had been lying on the bed for several months, he must be bored. So he gently stroked his back and asked, "Will you be tired from walking like this? If you really want to play, come back early."
"I'm not tired. I've had a good night's sleep in the afternoon, and there's someone's massage service." He patted my face, "So, I've had a good rest."
"Do you know that there are forty-three messages on the phone next to the bed?"
"I turned off the bell, it was too loud."
"Maybe there is something important, do you want to listen before leaving?"
"I don't listen. It's rare to have a leisurely mind. Besides, I handed in all the blueprints that should be handed in."
"Okay, I'll go out with you, but I have to come back early for IV drip."
"Don't spoil the scenery, there is no drip tonight."
He pulled me up from the sofa and pointed out the window: "Did you see that? Today is the night of the full moon. When the moon is full, everything is auspicious. Do you still remember the story about the monk you told me?"
"What monk?"
"Chan Master Wen Yan," he nodded my nose, "One day, Chan Master Wen Yan asked his disciples, saying: 'I don't ask you how you are before the fifteenth month, I only ask how you will be after the fifteenth day.' The disciples all said I don't know. Zen Master Wenyan answered for them: 'Every day is a good day.'”
"Every day is a good day..." I murmured. ——I have long forgotten the story I told Li Chuan six years ago.
"So, let's have fun and not let the good times go."
Every day is a good day. I chewed this sentence in my heart. Looking at Li Chuan, he was silent.
Spring flowers and autumn moon, summer wind and winter snow. In my endless troubles I missed one good season after another.
Suddenly, I was enlightened. He took out lipstick and eyeshadow from his handbag and smiled at him: "Okay, I'll put on my makeup first."
Li Chuan nodded, sat by the window and waited for me.
The lights on the surface of the lake are twinkling, connecting with the stars in the sky. Lights and stars seemed to gather in his eyes.
I even thought that if Li Chuan died by my side tonight, he would be happy and I would be satisfied, maybe this is a happy ending.
Li Chuan drove me to the Kunststuben restaurant, claiming that it had the best dishes in Zurich. In fact, for me, the most delicious dish in the world is the spicy fish fried by myself. Even Li Chuan, who never eats chili, said it was delicious. Twice he actually asked me to make it and bring it to him for lunch. We started with starters at the Kunststuben, followed by soup, main course, dessert, fruit, one by one, until after-dinner coffee. It's a pity that from the beginning to the end, I was the only one who ate a lot. Li Chuan only ate a little salad and fruit, which probably spoiled, so he went to the bathroom halfway. After I came back, I never saw him move a knife or a fork again, and just sat across from me and talked with me.
After dinner we went to the bar. I drank, got drunk, and Li Chuan drank apple soda to accompany me. After listening to a local singer's performance in the bar, Li Chuan insisted on taking me to dance in the ballroom next door. He said he had never seen me dance and always wanted to. I danced a piece of disco for him in the ballroom, using my years of experience in the dance hall, the dance was very high and explosive. Li Chuan sat on the side and applauded me. After half an hour, the music suddenly slowed down, I pulled Li Chuan into the dance floor and danced slowly. Li Chuan's legs are not very flexible, and he can't hold a cane when dancing. We put aside the rhythm, embraced each other, took small steps, and moved slowly with the music.
Under the fragmented light, Li Chuan's complexion unexpectedly had a rare rosy glow. The pace is slow, I can't dodge in time, and I always step on my feet. I was worried that he was tired and kept clamoring to go home. Li Chuan dragged me along and danced several times slowly, until the disco was played again in the dance hall. When I left, I was still a little bit reluctant.
It was three in the morning when I got home. We showered and changed into pajamas. Li Chuan couldn't stop thinking about dancing.
"Stop dancing, or I'll sing you a song!" I pressed him on the sofa.
"What song to sing? I have a guitar, let me accompany you." He brought a Spanish-style guitar from the next room.
"Sing the one I used to sing, the strong song."
"Oh... No." He moaned, "Go for another one, I beg you."
"No, this is what I'm best at, I must sing!"
"Wait, let me think about the string rhythm first."
"I sang it. If you want to accompany it, you can accompany it. If you don't want to, I can sing a cappella."
I cleared my throat, went to the bathroom, took a handful of toothpaste as a microphone, and sang at the top of my voice:
"My passion is like a fire,
Burned the whole desert.
When the sun sees me, it hides from me,
It will also be afraid of my fire of love.
With me in the desert, I will never be lonely.
Full of youthful flowers!
I am singing loudly, you are singing softly.
Revel in the little love river in the desert! "
Li Chuan frowned from the beginning to the end, and patiently accompanied me to the end of the performance. Then, he refused to let me sing the second verse, saying that if he sang it again, his hearing would be disabled. He played me a piece of "Hotel California" which he liked, claiming that it was his repertoire, and the prelude was as good as the Eagles. Li Chuan's voice is very pleasant, soft and hard, it can be high or low. I was so jealous that I wanted to go in and make trouble. Every time he sang a verse, I yelled at the climax: "This could be heaven or this could be hell!" Move out the second paragraph, let me sing solo in Qin opera:
"Her mind is tiffany-tisted, she got the mercedes benz
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
Ho they dance in the courtyard, see summer seat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to et"
Because "dance" was mentioned in the last line, after singing, Li Chuan pulled me to stand up and wanted to dance again. In my impression, Li Chuan is rarely in such high spirits. Unable to hold him back, I went downstairs to find a CD, turned on the stereo, and played dance music.
I put my arms around Li Chuan's waist and let him wrap his arms around me, slowly rising and falling with the music. His only slender leg slid gently with my footsteps.
"That's it, one back, one forward. One step, two steps, three steps, one lean. Come again—"
"So simple?" he said, "You can teach something difficult. Isn't there still rotation?"
I went crazy: "What should I do if I fall?"
"Get up and keep dancing."
"No, you have to take your time, get the basics right first."
I thought Li Chuan hanging on my body would be heavy, but in fact he was light and weightless like a cloud of fog.
"Li Chuan, you are too light, eat more." I said sadly.
"Sorry, I used you as a crutch, are you tired?"
"Not tired, it's rare that you like it." I said softly.
He looked down, our legs tangled. This time he stepped on me at every turn. We were all barefoot.
"Oh! Li Chuan, you keep stepping on me! You did it on purpose."
"The soft, boneless slender feet are very comfortable to step on..." He was actually very happy.
"I stepped on you! I stepped on you!"
"Hey, hey, it's okay to step on one foot with two feet and take turns. It's too bullying."
"I'm still kicking."
"I dodge, you carry me behind your back." He pressed towards me.
We fell to the floor at the same time. I was about to sit up when he pressed me down: "Xiaoqiu, let's have another peak experience... You said in the afternoon that you want it in the evening, right?"
I woke up at ten o'clock in the morning, and Li Chuan was still sleeping beside me. The plane at 1:30 must enter the airport at least three hours in advance to go through the boarding and customs procedures. I showered, changed, went to the kitchen to find a box of last night's dessert and ate it for breakfast. The floor of the bedroom is a mess, grapes, honey, candles, red wine and scattered pillows... are the traces of our play last night. I cleaned everything up quietly and went downstairs to pack my suitcase.
The doorbell rang downstairs. Opening the door, it was Li Chuan's grandfather and another middle-aged female nurse.
"Good morning!" said the old gentleman pleasantly.
"Good morning!"
"Is Li Chuan here?"
"He hasn't woken up yet." I said softly, "And he is in a deep sleep. There must be no problem with the infusion now."
Seeing me say that, he hesitated instead: "Aren't you going out today?"
"I'm on the plane at one o'clock, and I'm going to the airport right now."
"Hmm..." He looked at me, pondered, and suddenly asked, "Little girl, have you ever been here?"
"No."
"Why do I feel like I've seen you somewhere before?"
I smiled faintly: "No."
"It's a pity that Li Chuan is still sick, otherwise he will treat you well." The old man obviously saw that our relationship is unusual, and said apologetically, "We will give him a sedative first while he is asleep. So you probably won't have a chance to say goodbye."
"It's okay, the treatment is important. I also hope he gets better soon."
"Then, did Li Chuan arrange a car for you?"
"It doesn't matter, just stop the taxi."
"How about that," he said, "I'll ask the driver to take you."
At the insistence of Grandpa Li Chuan, the driver Finn took me to the airport.
After finishing all the procedures, there was only one hour left. I was sitting in the terminal, wearing headphones, looking out the glass at the huge plane.
There was no sadness, no joy, my mind was blank. I only remember what Li Chuan told me: every day is a good day.