Chapter 8 Across the Street
After a few rounds of drinks, I needed to piss. I shuffled in flip-flops, limping toward the public toilet behind the stall.
After I finished and came out, the night wind hit my face and cleared my head a little.
I pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes, shook one loose, and stuck it between my lips. I lowered my head to light it.
I took a deep drag. The cheap tobacco's bite rushed into my lungs and brought a brief rush of dizziness.
The moment I lifted my head, my eyes swept across the street by accident.
Then my whole body froze, like I'd been iced over. I even forgot to tap the ash off the cigarette between my fingers.
Across the street was a refined Western restaurant.
Atmospheric light spilled through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. I could see the waiters in suits inside.
And at the best table by the window sat two people.
Ji Yanli, and a young woman in a cream-white dress, with a gentle air.
He had changed out of the strict suit from daytime. He was wearing a dark gray cashmere sweater.
The lines of his side profile looked softer under the lights.
Right then he was leaning in slightly, listening to the woman across from him. A faint smile seemed to sit at the corner of his mouth.
The woman said something and lifted a hand to tuck the loose hair by her ear. The gesture was elegant.
Ji Yanli nodded and picked up the sake on the table for a sip.
That picture was harmonious, well-matched, the two of them framed in the window light.
The ash from the cigarette in my mouth dropped and burned the back of my hand. A sharp sting.