Where Winter is Warm Where Summer is Cool

I woke up late at night in strange surroundings. The air was pungent with an unpleasant chemical smell and everything was quiet. 

“You are awake?”

Seated on a chair beside the bed under the dim light was Piao Zheng with a serious look on his face.

“This is the first sound sleep I’ve had since my return to China,” I said.

After a long beat, he sighed in exasperation. “I really don’t know what to say to you.”

I was equally lost for words. I thought at worst the red wine would make me break out in rashes because of my allergy. Not in my wildest dreams did I expect to end up in the hospital.

“I’m so sorry.”

That was the best I could offer.

“Apologies accepted,” he said, and the atmosphere brightened. 

“You gave Lin Xiaodi such a scare that she cried. It was so comical despite the seriousness of the situation” Piao Zheng blurted out.

“Well, Xiao Di has always been very emotional.”

“Yeah, it was so difficult dissuading her from coming to the hospital.” 

After a pause, Piao Zheng continued, “They don’t need to come if it’s not alright with you.”

“En, thank you.” 

I can’t stand too much noise when I sleep. And it is almost impossible for me to have any sleep in a hospital.

I pulled on the infusion tube stuck to my arm and smiled nicely at Piao Zheng. 

“Can we go? I don’t want to stay in the hospital.”

“Not till you finish the drip. You have a high fever,” he answered, his tone gentle but firm. 

I glanced at the clock on the wall and was shocked by the time. 

“It’s late, you should go back to rest.”

“I’m not the only one worried about you.”

“I can’t sleep with so much on my mind and you hanging around here.”

Piao Zheng sat thoughtfully for a minute before he finally nodded. “Well, I’ll come back tomorrow morning and I will bring you something to eat. You won’t be comfortable with the food here.”

“I want to eat mung bean honey porridge.”

“Alright.” 

Piao Zheng stood up, picked up his jacket from the end of the bed, and walked towards the door. At the door, he turned around, “It will be better if you relax and rest.”

I smiled and said nothing.

That night I dreamt someone came into my room but my eyes were too heavy from the medicine I had taken earlier for the cold. I felt a pair of cold hands holding mine. I struggled to break free but the hands tightened their grip. 

When I awoke the room was empty and all I could hear was the gentle ticking of the clock on the wall. 

I removed the infusion tube from my hand, walked into the bathroom, turned on the cold water tap, and washed my hands. 

The next day I saw neither Piao Zheng nor the porridge but instead, I had an unexpected visitor– Yang Yali. 

“Where is Ye Lin?” she demanded. 

I unplugged the infusion tube, put on my coat, and got out of bed. I’d always felt disadvantaged lying in bed and looking up to talk to people. I walked to the window and looked out. The snow had stopped falling but the landscape was covered with ice and the temperature was minus ten degrees outside.

“Where is Ye Lin?” She repeated

“Why ask me?” She had no business asking me this question in the first place. 

“I know he must have been here.”

“I don’t know where he is, Miss Yang, but I can tell you for sure that I saw him last when he toasted me with a glass of wine”.

Yang Yali looked at me thoughtfully, apparently seeming to weigh my words. 

“I will not give Ye Lin to anyone, including you, Jian Anjie. Don’t forget this.” She turned to leave then added, “I wish you a quick recovery.”

As I sat down on the bed the phone on the table rang. It was an unknown number. 

I picked up the receiver and waited for the party at the other end to speak. 

“Where are you?” The voice sounded familiar but there was a crackling sound from the phone line. 

“Who is this?” I asked. 

The other party seemed surprised and hesitated before answering, “Xichen.”

My fingers started trembling and I struggled to stay calm. 

“Hello?” I never thought it could be him. 

How did he find me? He was never meant to find me. How did he get my contact information?

There was a long silence, then, “Miss Jian, you are too honorable to forget things.” His voice was cold.

“I see, thank you for your reminder.” I was supposed to return to Jianzhuang yesterday but what about it? It wasn’t that important. 

“You’re welcome.” The calm quiet tone was mixed with sarcasm.

What an arrogant guy. 

My heart fumed, but before I could hang up, the voice came again, “Since Miss Jian now knows, let me ask again, when will Miss Jian return to Jianzhuang?  “

I paused for a second, then laughed, “Xi Xichen, mind your own business.”

“Give me a specific time,” he said, ignoring my insult. 

“May I ask, Mr. Xi, what right do you have to ask me that?”

I don’t have to explain myself to him under any circumstances. 

“I don’t think I need to tell a stranger my exact plans, do I?” I said taunting him. 

“Your father needs to know the exact time of your arrival to avoid unnecessary waste of time,” he said quietly, making it sound like he was the one waiting. 

It appeared he just wanted to make me look stupid since all my verbal cynicism had no effect on him. There was therefore no reason to continue the conversation. 

“In a few days time”

“Miss Jian, you probably didn’t hear me clearly. I said a specific time.”

I gritted my teeth. “Tomorrow.”

“Okay, tomorrow.” After a pause, he said, “I can send someone to pick you up if need be.”

“I still know the way back.”

“I hope so.”