Deyonna

Translator: Deyonna I pushed Li Chishu forward all the way, held his shoulder, and slowly opened the door, turning on the lights from behind. When the pendant light in the room lit up, Li Chishu’s footsteps paused at the doorway. I heard him take a shallow breath, then it seemed as if he had forgotten how to breathe. I have to admit that the piano room my mom arranged for me is indeed not small. Inside, two grand pianos are placed side by side. One is for the family teacher to use, which has been left there since I entered senior high school. Next to the pianos are two wooden cabinets specially made by a master craftsman in traditional handicrafts, commissioned by my mother, to display all the trophies and awards I have accumulated since I was young, both prestigious and not so prestigious, a jumble of them all have a dedicated spot. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window is the backyard garden of the house, and the other two walls are adorned with my photographs, each one framed in a spe...

Translator: Deyonna I will forever remember the look in Li Chishu's eyes when he first stepped into the piano room on the third floor. That day was the end of the month after the college entrance exam, and the school allowed the senior high school students to choose the day to come back to school to pick up their printed transcripts. I checked my scores online. Li Chishu and I were only three points apart, so getting into the same university or even the same major was not a big problem. After we each got our transcripts from our respective classes, the only thing we needed to discuss was what time to go home tonight - both classes had privately organized graduation parties, and we planned to have dinner first, and then there would be other activities after dinner. Li Chishu and I were not in the same class, and we were going to different locations. "They said... after dinner, we're going to KTV." Li Chishu was twirling a gardenia that he had gotten from somewhere in h...

Translator: Deyonna His head was tilting, bobbing back and forth. This reminded me of when he had told me that when he was a child, in the winter mornings when he attended kindergarten, his mother would wake him up to dress himself. He would then secretly doze off in bed while waiting for his mother to prepare breakfast. "The clothes were so thick and heavy, I was a little over 3 years old then, and once I put them on I couldn't even bend my hands. I'd just sit on the quilt, like a penguin," he said. When his mother finished making breakfast and returned, she would reach under his armpits to lift him up into her arms, carrying him over to eat while gently coaxing her Xiaobao to wake up. I placed the milk and bowl on the table, then sat down on the bedside, reaching across Li Chishu's armpits to embrace him. He rested his head on my shoulder, as I patted his back gently, calling out, "Xiaobao...time to get up. He murmured incoherently. I leaned in closer, cont...

Translator: Deyonna As expected, Li Chishu’s cold got a bit worse the next day. I checked on him before sending him out, and he didn’t have a fever, so he should gradually recover in a day or two. He came back from visiting his grandmother at the nursing home in the late afternoon, looking listless and lacking in energy. I urged him to take his medicine and tucked him into bed. He slept for two hours until I called him for dinner, but he still hadn’t woken up. I crouched by the bedside and tapped him a couple of times. Li Chishu opened his eyes drowsily. "What time is it?" "It’s five o’clock." I slowly helped him sit up. "Do you feel a bit better?" Li Chishu said that his mind was clearer, but he just casually ate a few bites during the meal and then put down his chopsticks. He sat alone on the chair, lost in thought. Suddenly, he said, "Shen Baoshan, I want to see the photos you took of me." I took out my phone, and Li Chishu flipped back and fo...

Translator: Deyonna  *unedited As I put down my phone, Li Chishu also slowly began to descend. "Take it slow." I extended my arms in a protective gesture, even though Li Chishu was still two people's height away from the ground. He descended using the safety rope and landed on the ground. After taking off the safety gear, he waited to see the photo I took of him. "Look." I passed him the phone to see. Li Chishu took a deep breath and looked at the photo seriously. He smiled and said, "My hair is all messy.” "This is proof of your bravery." I draped a coat over him and pulled him close, walking back. "Let's go and eat.” Li Chishu's energy plummeted after intermittent bursts of strength. The barbecue was greasy, and he didn't eat much of it, but he was very interested in the dessert Jiang Chi had ordered for him. I unintentionally glanced at the ingredients at the bottom of the bowl and took a closer look. It turned out that in addi...

Translator: Deyonna It has been a while since I last brought up the matter about our future home because I believe it is important for Li Chishu to have his own space for independent thinking. With three days remaining until school starts, I realized that I hadn't made any plans with Jiang Chi since the Lunar New Year. So, I decided to give him a call and propose going to our favorite open-air bar this afternoon, where we used to hang out often and enjoy a barbecue together for fun. When I mentioned the plan to Li Chishu, I didn't really expect him to agree to go with me. Li Chishu has always been someone who only socializes when necessary. Besides, he slept last night with his feet outside the blanket when I wasn't paying attention, and this morning he started coughing and sneezing. It seems like he's even less willing to go out now. But after dinner, I still casually mentioned, "Are you going? It's a self-service restaurant, and there's no limit on the nu...