I gently caressed Mrs. Bai's cheeks and dropped a kiss on her forehead. Although we didn't speak, we could see the understanding in each other's eyes.
Then, Mrs. Bai slowly closed her eyes and deeply fell asleep.
I reluctantly got up, laboriously changed my clothes, and walked downstairs. Mei was still sitting at the reception, but the first floor had already closed for the night.
Seeing me come down, Mei waved at me, "Why did you come down?"
I straightened my clothes, sat next to Mei, and fished out a cigarette from my pocket. I gave one to Mei and then lit one for myself.
In the darkness, only the bright light of the cigarette glowed, crimson and fiery.
It was a while before I started to speak, "She's asleep now; best not to disturb her at this hour."
