Sha Qing

Chapter 6: Death

A black Chevrolet Suburban full-size SUV parked on the edge of the wide asphalt road.

Li Biqing jumped out of the vehicle with a sports bag in hand and dazedly looked around at the dense forests and grassy slopes. "...Which park is this?"

Leo slammed the door, then walked over to his side. "Portland State University. The entire campus is somewhat an open park. The language training class I contacted for you is located on campus. It's only a half an hour drive from our apartment, and the bus passes through the area, so it should be very convenient going to school."

The staff member the language school sent over to welcome the incoming freshmen was already standing at the gate. It was a brown-haired Caucasian male around the age of forty with an athletic build; he was quite the large man. After chatting with Leo for a while, he enthusiastically grasped Li Biqing hands and vigorously shook them. With broken and tuneless Chinese, he incessantly enquired about the boy's well-being; his overbearing cordiality when welcoming the other was extreme to the max.

After a few sentences, Li Biqing politely withdrew his hands with some difficulty, then he turned around and tentatively glanced at Leo.

Leo patted him on the shoulder in reassurance. "Mr. Wayne will be leading you inside. I'll pick you up in the afternoon. Tomorrow, you'll start taking the bus, okay?"

"Okay." Li Biqing softly whispered. When Leo turned on his heels to leave, he reached out and clutched his sleeve, then he immediately released his hold, looking as if he had something to say but hesitating in the end. He was the spitting image of a nervous young boy who had been thrown into a boarding school by his parents.

This subconscious action, which revealed his dependency, gave rise to an inexplicable pleasure within the depths of Leo's heart. His voice was very affectionate as he encouraged, "Go on. Relax, and be yourself."

Li Biqing directed a radiant smile towards him; it was as if the bright moonlight broke through the dark midnight clouds.

Wayne, who stood at the side, watched the entire scene with surprise in his eyes. Once the Chevrolet SUV drove away, he smiled at Li Biqing in understanding, "You have a very good boyfriend."

Li Biqing flushed in embarrassment and awkwardly corrected, "No, he's my girlfriend's younger brother."

Wayne was far more embarrassed, and he kept apologizing along the way.

The day's class finally came to an end. Li Biqing declined Wayne's offer to send him to the gates and, instead, roamed around the campus by himself. He didn't want to call Leo ahead of time, and besides, Forest Park also bordered the campus of Portland State University, and the natural scenery was absolutely stunning, intoxicating anyone who laid eyes on it.

He shifted the bag on his arm and leisurely strolled around the soft, rolling lawns sprinkled with fallen leaves. The sunlight penetrated through the verdant treetops of the surrounding oak trees and red birch trees, gently shining down upon his body. The summer breeze carried the faint scent of fresh flowers...the fragrance of roses, Li Biqing concluded after inhaling deeply. Japanese Roses, Chinese Roses, Rambler Roses, although they all belonged to the same rose family, they each had their subtle difference in scents. Countless rose petals scattered in the light breeze, mixing with the sun's warm rays, their scent lingering in the air, drifting with the wind. It was such a tempting fragrance.

The "City of Roses1" truly deserved its name, he thought as he promenaded.

"Hey!" A clear voice suddenly shouted from behind him. Li Biqing didn't look back though. Many people were coming and going from the campus. It didn't matter who that voice was calling for; in any case, it wasn't like the person was calling for him.