Chapter 11 Eleven, good night

There are two asters in the Bizen small pot, one high and the other low, scattered and chic.As the name suggests, two light purple and elegant flowers similar to wild chrysanthemums add a touch of loneliness to the room where the owner is not present. This is the flower that Xia came to pick up the ticket two days ago. "Anyway, I'm going to travel the day after tomorrow. It's a pity for this flower." No matter what Iori said, Kasumi cut it and inserted it. "Since you have to go far away, when you leave home, it's better to cut flowers at home." At that time, he didn't think the flower was meaningful, but now that he was about to leave, he found that Hua'er was quietly sending him out at home.Iori looked back at the blooming flowers and the quieter apartment again, checked again, and knew that he had not forgotten his belongings, and then walked towards the door.

"This house is all up to you." After putting on the shoes, he told Fuzi again.Yizhi told her that while she was away, although there was nothing important to do, don't forget to water the flowers on the balcony, take out the newspapers from the newspaper box, and pay attention to proper ventilation in the room. "The place where I live has been written on the schedule, please contact me if you have anything to do." He also gave Tomiko a copy of the schedule.Although the name of the hotel was spelled in Japanese kana, he was still worried about whether Tomiko would be able to call foreign countries smoothly. However, giving her a schedule made him feel more at ease after all.

"It's cold where you're going!" "The season seems to be about a month earlier than in Tokyo." "Please take care of yourself and don't catch a cold." Although the time of going out is not long, but hearing that he is going to travel abroad, Tomiko seems a little lonely. "Okay, I'm off." He said as if to encourage himself, walked out of the door, got off the elevator, and saw Mochizuki and Shengzi waiting for him in the lobby. "Let me carry the luggage!" Mochizuki quickly took the luggage and took it to the car parked in front of the apartment.

"I'll take you to the airport too!" Shengzi asked as she walked towards the car side by side with Iori.In the past, whenever he traveled abroad, someone in the office would always send him to the airport.Sometimes there are two or three people, sometimes four or five people, but Shengzi is indispensable every time. "of course can……" Iori nodded in agreement and got into the car first. Although she and Xia took the same flight, they had already agreed when they met the day before yesterday that she should go through the check-in procedures alone.He had already told the airline to arrange seats together even if they checked in separately.Both are first class and the airline has agreed to take care of that so there should be no problem. "Maybe someone else from the office came to see me off. After I got out of the customs, they couldn't see me."

Even if they meet Xia, they go through the formalities of going abroad separately, pretending that they don't know each other, and no one will find them. He planned to arrive at the airport an hour before the plane took off; he arrived at the airport before 8 o'clock, so he left home before 6 o'clock, but there was traffic jam on the road, and it was already past 8 o'clock when he arrived at the airport.Iori walked towards the North Wing lobby where the check-in window was located, and looked around, but there was no sign of Kasumi.He went through the formalities by himself, checked the luggage, and returned to Mochizuki and Shengzi.It was already twenty past eight.

"There is still a while, let's have a cup of coffee!" "However, time is running out, it's better to go in first." There are still forty minutes before takeoff, which is indeed not enough time.Iori thought that Kasumi was waiting inside, so she thought it would be better to go in early. "Okay, that's it. Thank you for taking it to the airport." Iori looked at Mochizuki and Shengzi respectively, expressing their thanks. "Please take care and have a safe journey. Don't bother to buy any gifts." "Then I won't bother."

The two sides were joking, and after Iori and Mochizuki finished shaking hands, they reached out to Shengzi.Shengzi suddenly showed a stiff expression, but he shook hands gently. "While I'm not at home, please." Shengzi nodded, suddenly remembered, opened the handbag, and took out a small white bag. "Here's a set of snacks and tea. It may embarrass you. Eat it in a restaurant!" "thanks!" Iori put it in his bag and looked back at the two of them. "I'm leaving." He noticed that the two were following his gaze, and looked back again, Mochizuki waved his hand, Shengzi's hand was raised halfway, and stopped in front of his chest.

Iori always felt that he forgot to tell Shengzi something, but he still walked down the stairs leading to the boarding gate. After going through the formalities for going abroad, Iori went inside and walked towards the duty-free shop.The day before yesterday, the two made an appointment to meet near the duty-free shop, but Xia was nowhere to be seen.Where did she go?Just as Iori was looking around restlessly, someone suddenly patted his shoulder from behind. "Just arrived!" Iori looked back and saw Kasumi standing in front of him.She was wearing a cashmere sweater and a tartan suit.Iori was used to seeing her in kimono, but at this moment she felt that she suddenly became full of youthful vigor.

"A woman is here to see you off!" Xia smiled mischievously. "I was right next to you just now. When I saw you coming in, I chased after you too." "That woman is from my office. She came with another employee to see me off." "Ah, let's not talk about this, I finally met you smoothly." Xia's face was full of vigor, as if she was going on a school trip, she picked up the handbag and shook it at Iori. "There are small snacks and chocolates in here, and you should want to eat it when you get on the plane." "You're here."

Iori showed some admiration in his tone, but Xia said angrily: "The air tickets are all bought, do you still think I won't come?" To be honest, Iori has not really felt that she can really travel to Europe with Kasumi until now.It's time to board the plane.He even felt that there might be an accident before boarding the plane that would stop the trip. "Is it your daughter who sent you to the airport?" "Yes, my daughter said she wanted to see Narita Airport, so she came together." Worried about being bumped into by acquaintances, Iori walked towards the boarding gate, only to find that there were many people waiting to depart.It has entered November, and it is said that the season to travel to Europe has long passed, but there are still many tourists in tour groups wearing badges on their chests.

"There's still time, let's have a cup of coffee!" Iori watched Kasumi walk towards the food counter, and turned to the payphone in front of her. I'm going to travel to Europe, but I haven't called home in Jiyugaoka so far.Since yesterday, he has been hesitating whether to fight, and finally decided to fight before leaving, and now the time is approaching.Now, even if they were told that they were going to Europe, it was just a notification.He thought so in his heart, but there was an ominous premonition in his mind, what if he died outside without looking back? Kasumi took a sip of coffee, and Iori stood up. "I have something to do..." As Iori said, she walked towards the yellow phone in front of the counter and took off the receiver. The other party has already decided to divorce, so there is no need to call her again.If you have something to say, you can write back from abroad in the future.In doing so, it is very chic and has an endless aftertaste.However, he immediately thought that in case of an accident, it would cause lifelong regrets. Although it is said that we are going to divorce, but the household registration has not been moved out, it is reasonable to tell the family.He convinced himself and dialed the phone. I don't know who will answer the phone?He listened breathlessly for a moment, and when the phone beeped, his wife answered. "Hey... hello..." His wife's voice hardly changed, but he felt a little strange.Iori said: "it's me……" "Oh..." The other party said softly. "I'm at Narita Airport now..." The wife had probably heard from his brother that he was going on a trip, so she didn't seem surprised. "Because of work, I have to go to Europe for ten days." "..." "How are you?" "Yes..." Finally said a word, but the conversation was interrupted immediately. "Brother has already told me... let's talk about that matter when I come back!" As Iori spoke, he felt that his words were too cold. "How are the children?" "what……" "What are you doing now?" "watch TV." The wife said very little, except when necessary.No way, Iori nodded alone. "Goodbye..." Iori was looking forward to hearing her say "please take care", but the phone had already been hung up. Iori stared blankly at Kasumi who was sitting on a chair far away while holding the microphone that had stopped speaking. Walking back to the chair at the boarding gate, Xia handed the paper cup of coffee to Iori and asked: "Forgot something?" "It's exhausting to be so nervous." While drinking coffee, Iori recalled his wife's attitude just now.From what he heard on the phone, he didn't think his wife was angry or upset.He told her he was going abroad, and it seemed to him that he was pouring out what he had been wanting to say for a long time.It seems that this worry may be unnecessary. But after thinking about it carefully, the wife's few words were quiet, which just showed that her heart was completely chilled. "Is there anything else to worry about?" "No……" "It's the first time for me and you to go abroad together." Xia said she had been to Europe and the United States.The first time was a group trip and the other was with four or five friends. "Whether we can really travel together, until now, I still wonder." Iori felt the same way.Although I know that everything will be fine as long as I board the plane in front of me, I still can't believe it will happen.Iori looked around again, feeling a little timid like a criminal, surprised, and still uneasy. "The sooner the plane leaves, the better!" It seemed that Xayah was equally disturbed.In order to calm down, Iori lit a cigarette and looked at his watch.Twenty minutes until takeoff.However, no boarding time has been announced so far, and it appears that the plane may be delayed. Iori looked at the flickering lights at the airport, imagining that someone might appear to drag them back.If anyone showed up at this time, it would be Xia's husband or someone he hired. Suddenly, a man ran up and shouted, "Don't let this woman go. This man is a vile guy, trying to lure other people's wives to flee to a foreign country!" As he spoke, he began to yank Xia. "It's really slow..." When Iori looked at his watch again, the boarding gate was already open, and a notice for passengers to board the plane came out on the radio. The waiting people stood up at once.Iori looked at them and picked up his bag. "Let's go!" Xia raised her face and smiled slightly and nodded.Seeing her smiling face, Iori really felt that the two of them were indeed going to travel to Europe. The ticket is first class.They had just sat side by side in the front seat when the waiter immediately came over to greet them. "You two are Mr. Shoichiro Iori and Ms. Kasumi Takamura, right? Are you going to Amsterdam?" A man in his thirties bowed his head amiably and checked their names. "It takes six hours for the plane to reach Ankarej. Please let us know if there is anything wrong." Iori nodded, suddenly feeling as if she was undergoing an identity check.A middle-aged man and woman with different surnames sat next to each other and flew to Europe together.The surnames are different, so they are definitely not husband and wife, but judging from the fact that the two are walking together, they must have an ambiguous relationship.The flight attendant, probably aware of this, was watching them. However, this may be my own concern.One can imagine that this is just a business trip, the two of them travel together and take the same flight.Iori calmed down, took the champagne delivered, looked around, but found no acquaintances. Iori felt relieved and started drinking. After a while, the cabin door closed and the plane slowly headed towards the runway.In the darkness, only the red, green and green beacon lights stretched intermittently.Iori looked at the lights and fastened her seat belt, and Kasumi also held her breath and stared out the window. After a while, the sound of the engine increased, and the plane began to taxi along the runway. After continuing to accelerate, there was a slight vibration, and the plane floated into the sky.Then, the plane continued to rise, and the lights on the airport quickly faded away.Iori let out a sigh of relief.Apparently, the plane took off safely.As long as you sit still like this, you can arrive in Ankarej in six hours, and then in Amsterdam in a dozen hours. Only when the plane flew into the sky, Iori felt liberated from all restraints.His wife, divorce, job, and relationship with Shengzi and all the annoying things on the ground have gone away from him, and he has been liberated and is now completely free.At least for the next ten days, he can think about nothing and concentrate on enjoying this trip to Europe. He glanced reassuringly at the window, and Xayah turned to smile at him.Kasumi put her hand on the side table, and Iori put her hand on Kasumi's, and Kasumi gently shook it back. "You can rest assured this time." "yes……" The two hadn't spoken, but they were both thinking the same thing. After leaving Narita Airport, dinner was delivered immediately.After eating, Iori fell asleep.Probably because of the drink and the relaxation of being out of Tokyo, he slept soundly. I don't know how long it took, but woke up halfway and found that Kasumi had fallen asleep with her head resting on Iori's body.Looking at her face, Iori realized again that this was a trip with Kasumi. Arrived in Ankarej six hours after leaving Narita, it is winter here. Looking out through the glass of the waiting hall and seeing the snow-capped Alaska Mountains, Iori felt once again that he was on a journey. After the plane spent an hour refueling, they boarded the plane again, watched a movie after eating, and fell asleep after watching it. Now, they can't tell whether they are eating breakfast or dinner, and they always doze off in a daze to pass the time. On the plane, only eat and sleep, sleep and eat.Every time he wakes up and sees Xia beside him, he is both surprised and emotional.When I met Kasumi in Tokyo before, I never fell asleep.They cherish their tryst time and are reluctant to fall asleep.In his brain, this feeling is still deeply ingrained. Waking up suddenly and finding Xia beside him, he felt a panic.He mistakenly thought that it was time for Xia to go back.In the blink of an eye, he immediately realized clearly that he was on a plane and was now flying to Europe, so there was nothing to worry about.Thinking that the time with Xia was still very long, he settled down again and fell asleep.Every time he woke up, he felt strange; Xia was by his side.Xia probably felt the same way.Sometimes when he woke up from a nap, Xia was looking at him and smiling.Seeing her smile, Iori fell asleep in peace. After staying together for such a long time, both of them felt a little confused, but at the same time, their hearts were full of joy. In the past, every time Iori sat on a plane flying to Europe, Iori felt extremely bored, but now he doesn't feel the time is long at all.Traveling is already full of pain, just being forced to accept food and sleep helplessly, but now the journey has become colorful, full of happiness and warmth. After eating the last simple breakfast, the broadcast announced that he was about to arrive at Amsterdam Airport.It is said that the local time is half past seven, but it seems that the surroundings are still dark. The plane lowered its altitude and passed through the clouds. Many bright spots suddenly appeared in front of my eyes, and they were getting closer.Before dawn, the earth is silhouetted, but the streets of Amsterdam are still brightly lit.After a while, the plane made a sharp turn to the right, then slid down and began to descend. "Arrived……" Yizhi said softly, deeply moved for Xia Neng and him to come here. When I got off the plane, I saw a thick fog covering the airport.It was still dark, and the aviation marker lights and street lights had halos around them. Probably because there were few incoming flights in the morning, the airport hall was empty.Only the passengers who got off the same flight lined up and walked on the long and clean aisle. Xia used to travel to Europe with a group, mainly to Paris and London, and only passing through Amsterdam. "So beautiful……" Looking at the airport bathed in morning mist through the foggy glass, Xia said softly. "It's almost dawn, what time is it in Tokyo?" "Eight hours earlier than here, it should be around three o'clock in the afternoon!" The two started walking again.Iori knew that Higashino would come to pick him up, and he was thinking about how to introduce Kasumi to him.Before leaving Tokyo, he told Higashino that he was going to take this flight, but he didn't intend to let him pick him up.It was okay before, but now he lives in Friesland in the north of the Netherlands, so I am sorry to ask him to come to Amsterdam to pick him up.However, Higashino said that he happened to be in Amsterdam during this period of time, so he must come to pick him up.Iori wanted to write a letter immediately to express his refusal, but after a calculation, the time was too late, so he didn't insist anymore. He knew that sooner or later he would introduce Xia to Dongye, but he felt a little overwhelmed when they suddenly met at the airport early in the morning. Higashino doesn't know Iori's wife, and even if he introduces "it's my wife...", he can cover it up.Iori wanted to say that too, but it always felt unnatural, and Kasumi might be embarrassed too.It's better to tell him frankly and frankly: "This is the woman I like," on the contrary, it is straightforward and everyone is relaxed.Higashino himself has already married a foreign woman, so it stands to reason that he would not care about such trivial matters.Iori has been persuading himself in this way, but once things come to an end, he feels in a dilemma. The Netherlands is an open country, so the entry procedures and customs inspection are very simple, and you can pass through with just a glance at your passport.Then, they took their luggage and left.As soon as they came out, they saw someone from the welcoming crowd waving towards them.Higashino has a black beard on his cheeks and under his nose, which is still the same as before. "Welcome. You must be tired enough along the way!" Just as Higashino was about to take the luggage from Iori, he found Xia beside him, gave her a surprised look, and hurriedly nodded slightly in greeting. Iori waited until he reached the middle of the hall before introducing Xia and saying: "This is Takamura, and this is Mr. Higashino, a potter." After a casual introduction, Iori Yoko thought to himself: Let Tono guess the rest!Higashino politely expressed his welcome, Xia introduced herself again, only said her name, and then bowed her head in thanks. "Let's go to the hotel and take a rest first! I'll go and drive the car over." After Dongye finished speaking, he walked out of the hall quickly.It was still foggy outside, and the sky was showing a fish-belly white color, which gradually brightened. "Does he know about us?" "No...but this guy is smart, maybe he senses it." "He won't guess at us!" "He's informal and quick. You don't have to worry about it." "But when he saw me just now, he looked a little strange." "That's because you're so pretty." After Iori finished speaking, the car drove over.Dongye quickly put the two large bags into the shelf and sat on the driver's seat. "Now I will send you to the hotel to rest for a while. If possible, I will pick you up around ten o'clock." "But, are you busy?" "This period of time just happens to be free. And starting today, I have spared time to accompany you." Iori bowed his head in embarrassment to express his gratitude. "Today and tomorrow, I will take you sightseeing in this area. If it is convenient for you, please visit my house the day after tomorrow. Although the journey is far away, you can see the sea on the way." He had known for a long time that Dongye's home was in Levarden in the north town.Iori originally planned to be alone with the two of them and walk around the Netherlands leisurely, but Higashino's warm rendezvous with him made it difficult for him to give up.Thinking of him wandering around all the time, Iori felt a little uncomfortable.However, there is indeed something to rely on. There were not many cars on the road, and when we approached Amsterdam, it started to get busier.It was getting brighter outside.Although it was not yet bright, it was probably time to go to work, and there was already a long queue of cars in front of the signal lights.Pedestrians on the road were all wearing overcoats, and some even wore warm fur coats.The leaves have already fallen, and the bare trees are bathed in the morning sun.It's early winter in Europe. The reserved hotel room is on the twelfth floor.There are no other tall buildings around, so you can look far and wide.When we arrived at the airport, the sky was still dark, but it was already very bright when the car was driving, and now the sun is shining outside the window, and we can have a panoramic view of the city. There is a canal under the window, and there are rows of equally tall tile-roofed houses along the river, and some courtyards can be seen.The leaves were almost gone, and the water in the canal was chilly.Only the lawn is a western variety, so green.When we were at the airport, the fog was thick, and now it has almost completely cleared, and the water and lawn are glistening in the sun. "It's like a toy." As Kasumi said, Iori nodded in agreement.He put his hand lightly on Xia's shoulder, then turned to Xia's face and kissed her. "Watch out someone sees..." Xia immediately shook her head away, but he had already kissed her. "Take a shower!" "Please wash first..." He originally wanted her to wash it together, but on second thought, anyway, they are together day and night these days, so there is no need to care about it for a while. Iori convinced himself and went to take a shower first.After sitting on the plane for nearly 20 hours in a row, when his whole body was soaked in warm water, he felt all the fatigue from his whole body receded. Putting on her yukata after bathing, Iori went to bed first. Immediately afterwards, Xia went in to wash, and after a while, she came over in her pajamas. "come quickly!" After drawing the curtains, the room was dark, and as soon as Iori lifted a corner of the quilt, Xia jumped in.Two people stuck together tightly. During the journey, for a long time, the two were close at hand, but they could not caress.Repressed passions are now on the verge of firing.Iori caressed Kasumi's skin reminiscently, and slowly unbuttoned the front of her pajamas. "No! Let's sleep peacefully first!" "I'm not going to do anything, just ask you to take off your clothes." Iori continued to untie her clothes, but Xia seemed to have acquiesced and stopped talking.Unbuttoning the belt and taking off the shirt, Iori felt the soft fur. "Don't do what you said." "Don't do it!" "Then sleep peacefully for a while!" Xia Yi Gulu turned over, with his back to Iori.After taking a bath, feeling comfortable and feeling a little tired, Iori put her arms around Kasumi's bare buttocks and closed her eyes. I don't know how long I slept, but when I woke up, Iori found warm sunlight shining in through the window screen.He tilted his head and saw that Xia was still asleep with her back exposed.Xayah had indeed exposed her buttocks when she was sleeping, but now she was wearing thin pajama pants.From this point of view, after Iori fell asleep, Kasumi got up gently and put on her underwear again.Iori leaned her feet on Kasumi's smooth thigh again, deeply feeling that Kasumi was by her side when she woke up, and felt relieved for a while. Iori enjoyed another burst of warmth from her skin, then slipped out of bed.It was past noon, the fog outside had disappeared and the sun was shining brightly.It's just that the sky is gray, the clouds are low, and the sunlight that shines through the clouds also has a European flavor.Iori sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette. He wanted to call the office and tell them that he had arrived safely. He opened the leather bag next to him and found a small bag beside him.It was given to him by Shengzi before departure, saying that it contained snacks and tea.He wanted to have a cup of tea and something to eat. He opened the bag and saw a flower envelope on it.Iori immediately looked at Asaka, and then carefully opened the envelope. "Please take care, I wish the two of you a happy life. Shengzi." Iori hurriedly folded the letter paper and put it in an envelope.He had doubted it before, but it seemed that Shengzi already knew that he was traveling with Xia.She didn't say anything in front of her, and she pretended to be calm when she set off. In fact, she had long wanted to say the words written on the letter paper. Iori recalled Shengzi's expression when she left the apartment.At that time, Sheng Zi once said, "Can I see you off?" It turned out that Shengzi already knew all this well at that time, so he said this. Just as Iori was deep in thought, there was a slight movement on the other side of the bed, and Xia woke up. "Ouch! You're up!" Iori put the envelope back in his bag and smoked a cigarette as if nothing had happened. "I'm sorry. I just slept late. Ah, it's past eleven o'clock." "The fog has cleared..." Looking at the sky with low clouds outside the window, Iori thought of Shengzi in Tokyo. Higashino came to pick him up at one o'clock. He thought that there was still plenty of time, but once he started to prepare, it took a lot of time.Yi Zhi was wearing gray trousers, a beige jacket, and a coat in his hand.Xia hesitated for a while, and finally put on a beige knitted dress.Kasumi loves kimonos, so I brought them with me on this trip, but today I mainly walk on the streets, so I wore a suit. Yizhi got dressed and went downstairs first, while Dongye was already waiting in the lobby. "Where's your companion?" "Come down immediately..." Just as Iori wanted to explain Xia's matter again, Higashino spoke first. "Is that the wife of the Tokyo gallery owner?" Iori didn't expect him to ask such a question, and was momentarily at a loss for words. "how do you know……" "It's really good. When I saw her at the airport, I thought I'd seen her somewhere, and it was hard to remember just now." "Have you met?" "That was three years ago. I wanted to go back to Japan for a solo exhibition, so I went to several galleries. Because Yingshantang is a first-class gallery and also exhibits ceramics, I went to see it. At that time, the couple We happened to be together. Because she is very beautiful, I remember it. However, she may not know me. That time, the exhibition was not negotiated." Since he knew it clearly, Iori didn't need to hide it. "This time, the two of us traveled secretly, so..." Iori made it clear, Higashino nodded with a smile. "I understand. Europe is definitely suitable for a two-person trip." Just then, Xia stepped out of the elevator.Wearing a moss-green suede coat, Xia looked elegant, petite and cute.Walking among tall foreigners is like a girl. "Let's go to Dam Square where the palace is located first! How about taking a walk to Monte Tower and then strolling along the canal to the flower market?" Dongye seemed to have forgotten what happened just now, and patiently told Xia. "Is there still a flower market in such cold weather?" "Greenhouse cultivation, or other methods. The Netherlands has no shortage of flowers all year round." Xia, who didn't know the truth, listened to Dongye's explanation innocently. The former royal palace is located in Dam Square, and a cylindrical war dead memorial tower is built opposite the royal palace.During the Second World War, the German army attacked here, and the Dutch launched a fierce resistance.But now the square here is crowded with crowds and traffic is busy, and there are no traces of that time at all. The three people came out of the square and walked along the shopping street Carpa Avenue.The Dutch don't pay much attention to Christmas, and they all celebrate St. Nicholas' Day in early December, so department stores and some shops have begun to decorate gorgeous garlands and lanterns.Because of its proximity to northern Europe, many shops specialize in selling high-end goods such as furs and leather bags, and there are also many precious metal and silver products shops with gemstones as the main products. Every time she went to a store, Xia would stop, look at the window, and walk into the store. "It will stay for a few more days! Don't rush to buy it." Hearing what Iori said, Kasumi nodded, but tried on a coat anyway.However, when I reached into the sleeves, I found that the clothes were too long, and my hands could only be tucked inside.Iori and Higashino laughed at the same time.Although Xia is not short, it seems that foreign coats are not suitable for the petite Xia. Xia may have been discouraged and quickened her pace.On the way, they visited the History Museum, and then came to Monte Square.From here to the bridge at Corning Square, the road along the canal is a flower market.The sky is still gray and chilly, but there are all kinds of flowers on both sides of the road, but here seems to be another world. They greedily strolled around the flower market, and before they knew it, it was almost dusk, and the houses on both sides of the canal had already lit up their lights. "I've made reservations for a chic and elegant bistro." Higashino took them to a nice little restaurant across from Spui Plaza.This restaurant serves Dutch style home cooking with a wide variety.They each ordered different meals and tasted each other, and it was already eight o'clock when they finished eating. "Go straight back to the hotel, or take a look at the window decorations?" "what did you say?" When Xia asked back, Dongye explained to her. "It's a place where men buy women, but it doesn't have the awkward feeling of Japan at all. I have also been there with my wife. The women here are very open-minded, and they often come to watch when they are walking with their lovers. In the window decorated with traffic lights Inside, a woman with a beautiful figure is showing her legs, standing there is very beautiful." "Do you want to go to this kind of place?" Although Xia was a little embarrassed, she seemed to be full of curiosity. The decorative window in Amsterdam is located on the bank of the canal five to six hundred meters east of Dam Square.There are rows of buildings made of stone blocks here, which are spacious and strong.By the windows on the first and second floors of them, there is a picture scroll of various poses and with different expressions: some women stand there with their hands raising their hair, some deliberately show their slender thighs, posing graceful postures for people to watch, Attract the attention of guests.All of them wore only thin evening gowns or lingerie, and some of them only wore bras and panties.It's a far cry from the bleak image of prostitution, where they seem to challenge men by showing off their physical beauty.The crowds of men didn't seem to be doing anything wrong, they were happily admiring, joking with each other, and some were bargaining at the door.From the window they could vaguely see the room where the women sat, with beds, small mirrors and small wardrobes.From time to time, shop windows with closed curtains can be seen.It was successfully negotiated with the customer and is now working. At first Xia hesitated, not daring to raise her head. After walking for a while, she gradually got used to it and raised her head to watch it for a while. Then she said in admiration: "It's beautiful! The figure is too beautiful." "However, if you take a closer look, you can see that many of them are old women. Under the light, it is difficult to tell the real from the fake." "However, the man over there has slender thighs and looks like a fashion model!" "The tower-shaped building over there is the former site of the church, and in front of it is the city hall. The church and the city hall are adjacent to such decorative windows, which is very interesting!" Under the night, there is indeed a tall tower with a cross on the top. "Has Mr. Tono ever gone in?" "I've only been there two or three times when I was single, and there are rumors that the underworld controls it. But, you just pay to have fun, and no one messes with you." Xia was dumbfounded, and then asked Iori: "You want to play too?" "No, it's enough for me to see." "You don't have to pretend. It's really beautiful." "I'm not trying to be a hero. In fact, I didn't like foreign women. From a distance, they are really beautiful. When you get close, you can see their noses are high and their eyes are sunken. It feels like falling into the Grand Canyon. .Besides, the legs are so long, maybe even the neck is trapped, and you can't escape. Japanese women are still small and exquisite, and they are cute." "Are you trying to comfort me?" What Iori said was from the bottom of her heart, but Kasumi didn't seem to believe it. Between the decorative windows and the decorative windows, there are many naked bookstores and theaters, and even a small theater for actual performances. "Let's go in and have a look!" When he walked to the naked bookstore, Higashino said something, and Xia hurriedly said: "I'll wait for you here. If you men want to see it, please go ahead!" "It's rare to come here once, just treat it as a study. How about it?" "How can anyone learn this!" "Then let's take a look?" Hearing what Iori said, Xia sighed, as if she was saying: Even you are going!However, it seemed that they felt a little scared standing alone on the road, and walked behind them helplessly.But as soon as he entered the door, he stopped suddenly. "What's wrong?" "This kind of..." Xia only said half a sentence, then lowered her head.She seemed to be stunned when she suddenly saw the row of explicit nude photos.Seeing her covering her face with her hands like a child, Iori and Higashino found it very funny and laughed together. "It's nothing special! Photos won't bully you." Yizhi pushed her from behind and got inside, but she kept her head down and slowly rubbed forward step by step. It is precisely because the Netherlands has completely lifted the ban that many photos are clearly shown even in part.Yizhi picked up a book and flipped through it, but Xia kept turning her face away and didn't even look at it. "How about this?" Iori asked her half-jokingly.Xia turned her face away, expressing her reluctance to watch.However, when he turned his face away, what he was facing was still row upon row of nude photos. "Let's buy two or three copies!" "Don't do stupid things! People will laugh at you." "No one jokes. It's not bad as a gift for the staff in the institute!" "Hate……" His voice was full of anger, but his eyes were carefully aiming at the photos on the bookshelf. "Don't make a fuss when you mention nudity. The ban has been lifted throughout Europe. It's not uncommon to find such things everywhere. Look over there, the young couple come to see it together, and they don't mind at all." Iori raised her chin and pointed at the two foreigners.Xayah glanced at them. "If you want to buy it, buy it quickly..." She said something angrily and turned away.Yizhi bought two copies and whispered to her, "Take it back and let you read it slowly." Xia remained silent. After leaving the decorative window, they got into the car and arrived at the hotel at ten o'clock. "I'll pick you up at nine o'clock tomorrow." Higashino said obligingly.It's really embarrassing to ask him to be a tour guide tomorrow, but Higashino will insist on doing so, and the kindness is hard to refuse.They thanked each other again, parted in the hall and went back to the room. As soon as the door was closed and the world of the two of them was established, Iori's patience seemed to have reached its limit, and she hugged Xia tightly as if venting.Xia also leaned over.They parted contentedly after a long kiss. "are you tired!" "A little bit, but I'm very happy. Higashino is a very kind person." Iori nodded, thinking in his mind whether he should tell her himself about Higashino's knowledge of her. "Where are you going tomorrow?" "Go to the Van Gogh Museum first, and then I seem to have to run thirty kilometers south to a small town called Hargo." Kasumi hung Iori's coat on the hanger, smiled and said to him: "Will you see Van Gogh immediately after seeing the nude photos?" “两者都是艺术。好了，咱们一块儿洗澡吧！” “这也是艺术吗？” “女性的肉体当然是最完美的艺术。今天无论如何也要一块儿洗。” “我不喜欢。刚看完那些照片，我可比不起那些人。” “别说傻话了。那些是假的，是人为创造出来的照片。” “不管怎么说，我怕人看。” “那就把灯关了，总可以了吧……” 霞绷着脸，不答话。 “我先进去等你，求你了。” 伊织把双手放在膝盖上，深深地弯着腰低下了头。霞无可奈何地说道： “你绝对别看。” “不看，我发誓。” 这回伊织竟一本正经地闭上双眼，用手在胸前划着十字。然后慢慢睁眼一看，霞正在笑他。看见霞露出笑脸，伊织才放心地走进浴室。 右面的梳妆台前是一面大镜子，浴缸细长，一个人可以伸开手脚泡在里面。 伊织放满洗澡水，关了灯，朝门外喊着： “照说好的，我已经关灯了！” 他借着门缝透过的微光，盯着门等着，霞从门缝露出脸看着里面说： “你真的不开灯吧！” “即使想开，开关在门外，也没法开呀！” “你闭上眼睛了吗？” “闭上了。看吧！就这样。” “你转过身去。” “没关系，这样黑洞洞的，什么也看不见。” 霞将信将疑，向里面窥视一下，终于认可了。她把门打开一条小缝，一步跨入门里，立即咣地一声关上了门。 “喂，喂，关严了门，里面可一片漆黑了。这样会憋死人的，开一点小缝吧！” 关上门后，霞似乎也感到里面太暗了。她无奈地把门打开一条小缝，借着这点亮光，慢慢向浴池边走过来。 看准时机，伊织一回头，霞尖叫出声，立刻把毛巾贴在胸前蹲了下去。 “你说过闭上眼睛的！” “说虽说了，但是想看。你蹲在那里，我可看得更清楚了。” 她刚想趁机跑开，伊织伸手拉住了她。霞只好哀求他： “我进去，进去。闭上眼吧！” 伊织相信她，松开手，霞站在浴缸旁说道： “就这样进去吗？” “当然，最好从前面进来。” 伊织移动身子，腾出地方，霞终于下了决心，背过身子，左脚先迈进浴池，然后又迈进右脚。脱了衣服，他才发现，霞的臀部十分丰满，正在昏暗中微微扭摆。 “水要溢出来了。” “没关系，快，坐下……” 伊织在水中分开两膝，拉着霞的腰，搂她过来。水立刻溢出浴缸。与此同时，霞背朝后被伊织用胳膊和腿抱住。 “别这样……”她想反抗，但立刻再次意识到自己光着身子，所以不再挣扎。 霞静静地蹲着不再说话。由于头发向上卷起，脖颈显得更长，泛出白色，露出水面。伊织看着看着，终于忍不住微微扭过霞，深情地吻她。 男女之间，只要有了新发现，爱会逐步加深。 这次是霞和伊织初次一同沐浴。关了灯，门微开，背着脸，露出脖颈。 别的人可能认为，共同沐浴既无聊又幼稚可笑。但对伊织来说，它是如此重要，甚至可以夸张一点说，这是一个值得纪念的日子。霞首次以身相许，初次和他同到奈良旅行，这次又下决心一起来欧洲旅行……今天正可以与这些时刻媲美。对他们两人来说，它们都是具有重大意义的日子。 两个人的关系最初只是会面交谈，后来委身相爱，现在进展到共同沐浴。伊织原来只能从远处爱慕地看着她，现在已经可以在浴槽的水中随意地抚摸她的乳房和细腰。 伊织回忆二人交往的历史，感到喜悦和激动。 从今年二月和霞初次见面以来，两个人的关系急速发展，与日俱增。以往的岁月对于他们都很有意义。他深知过去的每一天都是加深爱情必不可少的日子。 "It's so warm..." 伊织一只手放在她胸前，从后面吻着她的脖颈。霞的肩膀突然颤抖了一下，温水跟着晃动起来。霞的全身似乎都十分敏感。伊织的手触摸她的脖颈、肩膀和前胸时，她都像触电一样地做出反应。 “舒服吧？” 伊织的手从她胸前向下滑去。他问她，她细长的脖颈微微点了点。 “以后我们常一起洗吧！” "..." “我想开灯。” "no……" “亮一点，看得清。” “这样就很好。” 伊织遭到拒绝，他的手泄愤似地向下摸去。过了一会儿，霞稍稍扭了一下身子，浴缸的水又随之晃动起来。水温冷热宜人，促使两人的身体瘫软，引导他们迸发激情。 伊织浸在温暖的水中，尽情享受着霞迸发激情的肉体。此时此刻，笙子、妻子和工作都早已消失在九霄云外。 可能因为这是旅欧的首夜，也可能是他们在浴池里温存余韵未消，这天夜里，霞迸发出前所未有的激情。 她顺从地接受伊织要求的各种姿势，而且每次都达到欢悦的顶点。她依然默不作声，动作也有些拘谨，但肉体微微颤抖，表明她确实沉湎在欢悦之中。在重复的过程中，霞的身体变成一条火龙。伊织好几次感到难以忍耐想要喘息一下。但每当这时，霞的肉体就主动地紧贴过来，决不让他离开。 搂抱着这燃烧的肉体，伊织突然陷入一种奇异的思绪。 这激情到底藏在霞肉体的什么地方？她这无穷的贪欲，不断地追逐欢悦，不断地升华到极点，来自什么地方？霞平时是那么文静，那么腼腆，然而她却迸发出如此激情，判若他人。 这巨变的能源何在……他越思索，越惊诧于女人肉体的奇异，不一会儿就像坠入深渊似地陷入一片迷惘。 两个人肌肤相爱，沉浸在欢悦之中。然而实际上，真正享受欢乐的大概只是女人，而男人却只是在受人吞食，为人牺牲奉献。女人不断地欢悦满足，而男人得到的只是那之后的疲劳和倦怠。 然而，这种思绪只在一瞬间掠过脑际，他立即又回到现实的欢悦之中，不久则临近忍耐的极限，终于又迸发出一切精力，走向终极。 可是，完事之后，男人只是慢慢萎缩，而女人却像是波浪席卷，不断扩展，更加丰腴，愈加满足。伊织想要离开，而霞则断然不予允许，更加紧贴过来。 “真让我吃惊……” 待两人呼吸平稳后，伊织稍带挖苦地说道。霞的眼神还沉浸在快乐中。 “是你太坏……” "why?" “我以前可从不这样的……” 经她一提，伊织也感到的确如此。当初的霞非常有节制而且谨慎。 "Sorry." “不，现在才好……” 一个沉稳的女人，不知不觉中变成一个十分放荡的女人。面对这种剧变，男人既感到惊叹不已，同时又觉得十分满意;是他造就了这种变化。 “不过，今夜真有点不同寻常。” “那是因为你看了色情画吧？” “你又……” 霞摇头否认，反而变得更加可爱。伊织又搂过霞，在满足之后的倦怠中，先行进入梦乡。 第二天天气晴朗，但风却充满凉意。 按约定时间，东野九点半钟来接他们，先去了国立博物馆，又参观了梵高美术馆。国立博物馆内主要收藏荷兰十六七世纪的绘画作品，但其中属伦勃朗的作品最为著名。一幅名为《夜警》的绘画展示在大厅中央，屋顶全用玻璃做成，人们可以在自然光线下加以欣赏。梵高国立美术馆于八年前落成，建筑物十分独特，一至三楼的中央靠支柱支撑，建成中空天井，挂满展品，建筑物整体设计得既豪华又具有现代气息。 按昨天预定的计划，本该看完美术馆之后去哈戈镇，现在临时改变行程，直接去市立美术馆，然后又参观了海洋历史博物馆。结果整整一天光是参观美术馆和博物馆了。不过，来荷兰的目的之一就是要观赏这些建筑物，因此伊织感到很满足。结果，第二天就这样结束了。第三天，应东野热情邀请，要去他居住的莱瓦登镇，到他家去，还要见东野夫人，霞决定穿和服。 他们中途参观了还保留着古老民族服装和生活方式的佛林丹，穿过了须德海堤坝。这座大坝全长达三十七公里，起到围海造地的作用，像一条小路在海中延伸。 “真恐怖……”霞望着窗外自语。的确如此，路两旁就是冰冷的海水，远望则是一望无垠的大海，实在令人胆颤。越过大堤，他们进入荷兰北部的弗里斯州。 莱瓦登镇是州的首府，城市古老而安静。 东野把家建在这里，屋后设有一座烧窑。他很早以前就一直希望伊织来家做客。 荷兰籍夫人烧出一手好菜，款待他们。因为夫人曾在日本居住过，所以日语说得很好。她已经好久没看见和服，连连称赞“太美了！”，然后她又说起自己也有一套和服，于是穿上给他们看了一遍。 伊织原来很担心夫人对他们的看法，然而夫人却谈笑自若，似乎只当他们是一对相爱的男女前来旅游。 饭后大家一起照了相。伊织开始担心照片将来可能被日本的熟人看到，但转念一想，既来之，则安之，于是横下心来，和霞并排坐在一起。 当夜，他们住在东野事先替他们定好的饭店。饭店风格古朴，位于车站附近。 第二天参观了东野的瓷窑后，开车浏览了弗里斯一带。 在荷兰，无论城市多么小，必有美术馆和博物馆，珍藏着古老的艺术品。这一点实在令人佩服。 日本人似乎很少到这里来，过往的行人几乎都要看霞一眼。 “你穿着和服，他们很少见过吧？” “不过，他们都似乎对脚感兴趣。你看，刚才过去的那个人也是奇怪似地看我的脚呢！” indeed so.外国人不穿木屐，因此看霞脚穿草履，步伐轻快，好像很稀奇。走完一条街，周围立刻现出一片平原。寒风掠过光秃秃的白杨树，周围景色冷气袭人，近似日本的初冬天气。不过，日本人生活在狭窄的岛国上，也许更喜欢这种荒凉。 太阳西斜，他们欣赏着巨大的夕阳沉没在平原尽头，回到了莱瓦登。晚上，他们去位于城边的餐馆就餐。餐馆顶着一个芭茅房盖，给人的感觉像是由农房改建成的，可里面却由结实的粗柱支撑。包括夫人在内，四个人在这里一起用餐。伊织产生了一种错觉，好像他和霞已是多年夫妻。 霞也总是像妻子称呼丈夫似地称伊织为“你”。此时此景，这种称呼丝毫不显生硬。 第三天上午，他们从莱瓦登车站乘电车返回。东野前来送行。四天来，一直承蒙东野关照，而他对霞的接待极其自然，没有发生任何难堪的现象，伊织感到非常高兴。伊织再次表示感谢。他本想最后再叮嘱他一句：“别跟任何人说到她”，但转念一想，这已完全没有必要，于是没有再说。 “终于只有我们两个人在一起了。” 他虽然并不嫌弃东野，但这时确实产生了一种轻松的感觉。 “今晚在阿姆斯特丹再住一夜，明天上午去维也纳。” 霞听后点点头问道： “今天星期几？” “我们星期三到这里，大概是星期六吧……” 铁路两侧，灰朦朦的天空下，只有一望无际的平原。伊织望着窗外的荒凉景象，突然想起东京的妻子和笙子。霞缄默无语，一直望着窗外。 在他们二人世界欢乐的旅游间隙，两个人各自想着心事。 从荷兰北部返回的第二天，伊织和霞搭乘上午十点的航班离开阿姆斯特丹，前往维也纳。他曾多次来过欧洲，但却从未到过维也纳。他一直想去看看，但总是因为日程安排不开而错过机会。这次下了决心，除了荷兰以外，一定还要去维也纳看看。 “我总觉得有点奇怪……” 上了飞机之后，霞像刚想起来似地笑着说道： “到欧洲来旅游，只去荷兰和维也纳，总有些不对劲。” “现在人们旅游时不再喜欢紧紧张张地东跑西颠。与其如此，不如只去一个地方仔细游览，既安稳，又能学点知识。你是不是觉得巴黎或别的地方更好？” “不，我很满意。看到荷兰的乡村，旅行很愉快。维也纳我也很早以前就想去。但是为什么要来荷兰和维也纳呢？我总觉得有些不可理解。” 经她一问，伊织也有同感。荷兰是因为有东野在，维也纳是早就想去，仅此而已。总之，这次出国旅游，他想远离工作，随心所欲地玩一玩，所以也就随心所欲地这么定了下来。 “从维也纳的大森林回来后，再听一场绝妙的音乐会，那该多好呀！旅游指南上好像写着，那里有一座夏布隆宫，可以和巴黎的凡尔赛宫媲美，对吧？” 除此之外，伊织脑子里的维也纳却充满着华丽和灭亡相互交织的辉煌。 过去的维也纳曾是统治全欧洲的哈布斯堡王朝所在地，权势和豪奢显赫一时，如今的奥地利再也见不到昔日的踪影，只是在西欧和东欧文明之间奄奄生息。也正因为如此，他才觉得这里还保留着历史上极其灿烂的西欧文明的最后韵味。换句话说，它正像熟透的柿子那样甘美，又像落日的光辉那样绚丽。 “这座城市虽然没有经历过大发展和大动荡，但依旧豪华壮丽，像是一直静静地等待着毁灭。” “就像日本的京都吧？” “维也纳也许可以算是西欧文明的最后堡垒了。” 伊织沉默了。自己之所以憧憬日薄西山的维也纳，也许是因为意识到自身毁灭的缘故。 下午一点钟，飞机抵达维也纳。也许是维也纳四面环山的缘故，这里比阿姆斯特丹稍暖和些。但是，已是晚秋季节，天空下仍显得冰冷静寂。 伊织认识这里T贸易公司分公司的经理木崎，曾告诉他要去维也纳，但没说具体日期。他也是个爽快人，如果告诉他，他肯定来接，又要给他添麻烦。况且，这次是和霞在一起，因此他决定到达以后再和他联系。 饭店已经事先委托旅行社预定好，位于市立公园前。在饭店吃了一顿过点的午饭，两个人乘出租车沿着人称古老城堡城墙旧址的环形路游览了一圈。歌剧院、美术馆、国会大厦、普鲁克剧院等维也纳的主要建筑物几乎都建在沿路两侧。环行一周，大体可以看到城市中心部的全貌。 维也纳属德语系，据说那里的德语比德国的德语还要美。 但伊织说不好德语，所以用英语和司机交谈。 转完一圈，下了出租车，步行到维也纳的象征;斯拉方教堂，然后又沿着繁华街克鲁特纳大街逛了一圈。 四周环山，高大建筑物鳞次栉比，因此感觉风不太大，而落叶却沙拉沙拉地飘落在道路两旁。人们都穿着厚厚的大衣，其中有人还把双手插进胸前的筒状暖手套里。他们看着两旁的商店，漫步走到歌剧院附近，发现短短的白昼已近黄昏。 两个人沿着环城路往回走，瞻仰了市立公园角落里的舒伯特肖像，又在公园的小餐馆里休息片刻。室外风寒刺骨，树叶飘落在木桌上。他把演奏音乐的人唤到身旁，让他给弹了一曲维也纳华尔兹。听着听着，霞悄悄靠在他身上。 “真快活！” 伊织默默地点点头，霞的手伸进了伊织大衣的口袋。 "thanks……" 霞也不知要感谢谁，只是禁不住想说这么一句。 忽然抬眼一看，餐厅内亮起了灯，天色突然暗了下来。 “我不想回去了……” 伊织点头表示赞同。他做梦似地思索着：如果两个人不回东京，那该多好呀！华尔兹乐曲演奏完毕，周围已经夜色深沉。公园里点着路灯，他们漫步在林中小路，欣赏着浮现在灯光中的约翰·施特劳斯雕像。 据说施特劳斯生前有好几个女人。也许是为了表现这一点，在施特劳斯雕像周围点缀着好几个裸体女人的雕像。 “像你……” "what……" 伊织反问道。霞眼中含笑，已经踩着枯叶，沿着小路向前走去。她竖起大衣领，腰间松松地系着腰带，纤弱的腰部缓缓地左右摇摆。出了公园，街上一派夜景，商店橱窗的各式装饰物在灯光中闪闪发亮。 “如果说大街也有颜色，那么维也纳就是一种浓烈的绿色。” 正值晚秋，绿色并不浓重，但走在大街上，确实产生这种感觉。 “歌剧院和威尔伯登大厦一类的建筑都是金黄色，正好和这种墨绿色相得益彰。” “你是说墨绿色……” “你不觉得墨绿比浓绿更贴切吗？” “那你说，巴黎的大街是什么颜色？” “巴黎可以说是葡萄酒色，而伦敦可以说是一种深紫色或草莓蓝色。” “美国的城市呢？” “旧金山该是一种天蓝色或浅粉色吧！总之是绚丽的色彩才比较合适。纽约的颜色呢，似有却无，什么颜色都行，也许很多颜色混合在一起才能表现纽约的特点。” “东京是什么颜色呢？” “茶色吧！茶色比喻东京，看来最合适。” 伊织不过信口说来，霞却十分佩服地点着头。