Dreams Unleashed Read Online Free PDF Page B

Era, when Shanghai was the largest cosmopolitan city in the world. It was 1930, the birth of Swing, and the sounds of Duke Ellington penetrated the Shanghai air. Yang Li was one of the progressive Chinese elite that helped modernize Shanghai into the Paris of the East. He built the Bund hotel in honor of Song Yue, the woman he loved when he was a young man. Tragically, Yang Li was not allowed to marry Song Yue, who was a common peasant. In defiance of his elders, Yang Li saw her in secret, courting her for nine months before they were discovered.
    Song Yue was found one morning, naked on the bank of the Huangpu River, having been decapitated while still alive, and in place of her head lay one perfect, long-stemmed red rose. It was a brutal but symbolic message meant for Yang Li from her killer: to defy one's elders and stray outside your class had deadly consequences. The murderer was never identified. When Yang Li was able, he built the hotel as a memorial to his lost love. He designed the hotel with only nine guest rooms, in honor of the nine months of courtship with Song Yue. Staying at the Bund hotel was my tribute to the purity of love.
    As Chow opened the car door releasing me, I glided through the magnificent neo-Gothic entry, beckoned by its history. Slowly I made my way through the lobby, gazing in awe at the majestic arched window recesses and the magnificent sculpted wooden staircase in the center of the foyer.
    It's peaceful. I can rest here .
    I watched Chow communicate with the front desk clerk, speaking in a Wu Chinese dialect.
    He's handsome , I thought, observing Chow.
    He crossed the lobby, then led me up the grand staircase. I slowly climbed the stairs, thinking about the story of the Bund Hotel, while unconsciously caressing the curved banister with my long fingers. Reaching the elevator floor, I was reluctant to let go of the smooth masterpiece. We reached my floor and departed the elevator, then Chow stopped and faced me, gesturing to the door of my room.
    "Miss Torgeson, these Chinese characters are translated into English as Love 9. All the room numbers in the Bund Hotel are preceded by the word 'love.'"
    As I silently absorbed the symbolic meaning, I noticed something in Chow's dark eyes as they met mine, unexpectedly revealing a tender reverence for the hotel's sad history.
    He unlocked my room and motioned for me to enter first. I moved under the archway entrance, excited to discover Love 9. The space was elongated with a ten-foot ceiling and was bathed in a soothing green color palette.
    Of course---green---the color of the heart chakra . Love...green...heart...Yang Li thought of every symbolic tribute to love .
    My eyes rose effortlessly to the echo archway leading to a balcony with a door flanked on both sides by floor-to-ceiling windows. It was a full wall of glass. I walked over and stepped through the arched door onto the balcony, which was enough space for two chairs. Just beneath me was a splendid garden, with mature plants surrounding a fountain in the middle. The intricate garden had obviously been planted long ago and looked as though it was meticulously maintained. I lingered, admiring it, then realized that my room was quiet.
    Quickly turning, I saw Chow and the bellman patiently waiting for me.
    "I'm sorry; I was admiring the garden," I blurted out, embarrassed.
    Chow smiled sincerely in reply, "Of course Miss Torgeson. Would you like to have your luggage unpacked?"
    "Oh, no thank you, Mr. Lai. I can do that."
    "Yes, Miss Torgeson. The bathroom is here," Chow gestured as he opened the door. "Is everything to your satisfaction?"
    "Oh, yes. Thank you, Mr. Lai."
    Chow spoke to the bellman, handing him a tip, then followed him into the hallway. He held the door open to speak to me.
    "Would you like a wake up call this evening or tomorrow morning?"
    "No, thank you."
    "There is a tai chi class in the garden tomorrow morning at seven AM. Would you like to participate?"
    "Yes, that sounds like