CH 28.2

After Liu Bohuai finished, he turned and sat next to Li Qingzhou, saying, “I like to enjoy the thrill and challenge of extreme sports alone, so there was no one else around at that time.”

Li Qingzhou: “Then what did you do?”

“I re-tied the hook and loop, checked the ropes and climbed up through the pain.”

[President Liu is really great, so brave!]

–The little guy in the bubble -pop-pop- applauded, singing his praises.

Raising his glass, Li Qingzhou said, “There’s probably nothing that could make President Liu turn pale now, right?”

Liu Bohuai clinked glasses with him, his eyes deepening slightly as he said in a meaningful tone: “No, there is still something, but…. it’s a good thing.”

However my heart is not calm.

A little later, as the two chatted, the small glass of sake was finished.

Li Qingzhou started getting sleepy.

[Sleepy, I want to sleep.]

–The little guy in the bubble had emerged from the hot tub, the crocheted bath cap was off and he was back in a comfortable bathrobe with a fluffy soft looking pillow in his arms.

“Let’s get out.” Liu Bohuai suggested.

“En…… okay, then I’ll have to trouble President Liu.” Li Qingzhou tried to say in a cheerful manner.

— The little guy in the bubble buried his little red face in the pillow shyly, his two white feet on top of each other, his toes curled.

Liu Bohuai picked Li Qingzhou up, carried him out of the hot spring pool, placed him gently on a seat on the side then brought him a dry towel.

Then he placed a fresh bathrobe next to him.

Taking the towel, Li Qingzhou thanked him.

However as he wiped the water from his body with the towel, another towel was placed over his head then rubbed gently….

Li Qingzhou looked up in surprise.

Liu Bohuai stopped what he was doing, leaned down, slid his hands through the towel over his head, touched his face, wiped away the water droplets and said in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”

The heat from his body felt as if it was being transferred to his face.

Li Qingzhou’s voice was unconsciously soft, as if it hadn’t vibrated through his vocal cords: “No, nothing.”

“En.”

Liu Bohuai then straightened up again and continued to dry his hair.

As if his behavior couldn’t be more normal.

Then he pushed Li Qingzhou into the living room, went to check on the children then came back out to say, “Jun Jun and Shengsheng are both asleep.”

“I’m afraid we’ll wake them up if we go in again so….”

“President Li, if you don’t mind, why don’t you sleep in the same room with me?”

With the phone blacked out, pillows and blankets piled up on one side, Li Xusheng and Xia Yijun were sleeping on their backs, one on his side with his arms and legs wide open.

Liu Bohuai tucked the two children in then left a small lamp on before coming out.

Li Qingzhou put down his glass of water then agreed after a moment’s thought.

The bedroom was large and the mattress had already been made up and tidied neatly by the resort staff, but as Li Qingzhou was sleeping here tonight, another quilt had to be taken out of the cupboard.

Liu Bohuai made the new bed then picked Li Qingzhou up from his wheelchair.

[President Liu as a friend is really wonderful. How can he be so considerate, woo…. I’m so touched.]

–The little guy in the bubble waved a little handkerchief and blew his nose, teary-eyed.

[He’s such a nice guy! Long live friendship!]

Liu Bohuai: “……”

He put Li Qingzhou down well then twirled his fingers around the buddhist beads on his wrist, rubbing the concave-convexity that emerged from the tiny scriptures carved into them before his heart calmed down.

“You go to sleep first, I have some reading to do.” Liu Bohuai said as he tucked Li Qingzhou in.

Then he got up and turned off all the lights in the room, leaving only a small, not very bright light on his side. It was dim but warm.

Li Qingzhou yawned as he drifted off to sleep.

The little guy in the bubble followed suit under the covers, wearing a nightcap on top of his head, a small yellow crescent hanging from the top right corner by him as he rubbed his eyes.

Reaching out, he pulled the string hanging under the crescent and suddenly the bubble darkened…

[Good night.]

After Li Qingzhou had fallen asleep, Liu Bohuai closed the sutra in his hand gently then rose, the tatami floor sounding completely silent as he stepped on it.

After coming to Li Qingzhou, Liu Bohuai slowly lifted the corner of the quilt covering his lap.

–Li Qingzhou’s legs were pale and thin, giving one the impression that they were fragile and could easily be destroyed.

Liu Bohuai sat down next to him.

And although he knew that Li Qingzhou’s legs wouldn’t feel anything.

He nevertheless gently and slowly, with the utmost tenderness and care, lifted one of Li Qingzhou’s legs, placed it on his lap, then massaged it….

Some time passed before Liu Bohuai tucked in the quilt again.

Getting up slightly, he moved closer to look at the sleeping man, propping his hand on a pillow as his deep gaze passed slowly over Li Qingzhou’s face.

Then gradually, it stopped at the darkened bubble above his head.

Liu Bohuai wanted to reach out and touch it, but then stopped in mid-air and finally withdrew….

–His fingertips seemed to touch the bridge of Li Qingzhou’s nose, but they didn’t as he left the words, “Sweet dreams.”

A short while later, the small, dim light went out.