WSSAPF chapter 12

He quickly answered. Almost simultaneously, Zhou Chulan’s voice rang on the other end of the phone.

“Where are you?” Due to heavy rain, the signal in the mountains wasn’t very good. The sound of rain mixed with static, tugging at Zhou Chulan’s voice, making it sound more urgent.

“Dapingpo, I’m right at the intersection.”

“Don’t move, I’ll be right there.” After saying this, Zhou Chulan immediately hung up.

His voice seemed to have a magical power. In that instant, the turbulent storm in Li Zhuoyao’s heart began to gradually calm.

The rain intensified, sounding like water pouring on an iron can. Li Zhuoyao’s entire field of vision was shrouded in the curtain of rain. He remained in his original position inside the car, feeling a bit sore in his limbs. Looking out through the window, all he could see was the distant bottom of the cliff, and the scattered rocks gradually blurred in his vision. After staring for two seconds, he felt dizzy and disoriented. He focused his gaze on a raindrop sliding down the car window.

At this moment, the wind picked up, and the car began to sway slightly in a small range. Li Zhuoyao’s heart seemed to want to jump out of his chest. He held onto the seatbelt tightly, watching the raindrop flow down the car window, quickly disappearing.

“I hope I won’t fall before he arrives.” Immediately, he forcefully dispelled this ominous thought. He thought of his parents, who had a very loving relationship. As the only son in the family, he had lived under the envy of others since childhood. He forced himself to shift his focus. His thoughts drifted in another direction – towards Zhou Chulan. For the first time, he suddenly wanted to see Zhou Chulan.

Even if it was the last time.

Not being able to see him and falling to the bottom of the cliff, or seeing him and then dying – which result was better? These two thoughts were fiercely battling in his mind, with no clear winner. After about ten minutes, he heard the urgent honking of a motorcycle.

This horn immediately pulled him back from chaotic thoughts. He raised his head, and a bright light shone on the front windshield, burning his eyes. A feeling akin to sunlight overwhelmed him, almost bringing tears to his eyes.

“I’m here!” He shouted desperately, covering the pouring rain.

Zhou Chulan, wearing a deep blue raincoat, in this heavy rain curtain, the thin raincoat seemed inadequate, like a sycamore leaf dyed with blue pigment. He was completely soaked, parked the motorcycle next to Dapingpo, and ran towards the edge of the cliff, stumbling in the muddy water after taking a few steps. The road was slippery, and he fell into the mud but quickly climbed up, continuing to run towards the cliff. Rain mixed with mud splashed onto his face.

“Open the window!” He reached the front of the car, raised his hand to tap the window but withdrew it in an instant. At that moment, the window happened to be lowering, revealing Li Zhuoyao’s face.

“You’re here. It’s good seeing your face before I take my final breath” Li Zhuoyao said with a pale face, accompanied by a bitter smile.

“Don’t fucking talk nonsense.” Zhou Chulan, panting heavily in the rain, his voice mixed with breathlessness, sounded very muffled. His chest heaved up and down as he bent down to untie a nylon rope, a heavy-duty climbing rope. He tied one end around his waist and took the other end to a nearby Chinese fir tree, about twenty or thirty meters away from here. The length of the rope was about thirty or forty meters. Zhou Chulan wrapped the other end around the tree trunk, making more than twenty turns before stopping. Finally, he tied a knot and pulled it forcefully several times to ensure it was secure. Then he hurried back to the front of the car, instructing Li Zhuoyao to open the door.

“Reach out, come here.” He opened his arms, and Li Zhuoyao immediately extended his hands, leaning forward at the waist. He tightly embraced Zhou Chulan’s neck, placing his entire body in his arms. At that moment, he smelled the faintly bitter scent of ginger, soaked by the rain. It was Zhou Chulan’s unique fragrance, lighter than usual but still unreservedly filling his nostrils.

In an instant, Li Zhuoyao felt relieved.

At this moment, the car began to shake violently. Rainwater almost instantly poured into the car. Zhou Chulan’s eyes darkened, and he roared, “Quick, lie down!” Li Zhuoyao immediately pounced on him. As their bodies intertwined, Zhou Chulan tightly held him. Rolling over, the two of them fell into the rain and rolled into the nearby bushes.

The heavy rain poured, and the wind blew the nearby trees, making a rustling sound. The car, in the wind and rain, began to sway again, almost about to fall off the cliff. However, after swaying for a while, it miraculously stood firm. After about ten seconds, it returned to calmness and stopped moving.

Li Zhuoyao lay in the bushes, breathing in the rain-washed air deeply, opening his eyes to observe this familiar world through the curtain of rain. The washed trees appeared even greener, swaying freely in the wind. Raindrops fell on the ground, quickly blending with the bushes, trampled by pedestrians, crushed by wheels. With just one such rain, all the hardships and grievances seemed to dissipate, and the wild grass would continue to grow fiercely. He felt that this world, full of vitality, had never been more beautiful.

“Saved, it’s really fucking good to be alive.”

“You know it’s good to be alive? Then why the fuck did you go crazy, climbing up the mountain in heavy rain, courting death!” Zhou Chulan’s voice, accompanied by heavy breathing, rolled over and pressed Li Zhuoyao beneath him, gripping his collar tightly.

“I want to work, not go crazy,” Li Zhuoyao’s response, stirred by Zhou Chulan’s inexplicable anger, carried a hint of resentment. Compared to Zhou Chulan’s irritation, his reply seemed calm.

Zhou Chulan’s eyes narrowed, grabbing Li Zhuoyao’s collar and pulling him towards himself. Li Zhuoyao had to raise his neck, meeting the other’s face, and their eyes locked.

“What if you really died here today?” Zhou Chulan’s eyes were reddened, yelling at Li Zhuoyao.

This was the first time Li Zhuoyao saw such an urgent expression on Zhou Chulan’s face. Suddenly, he felt a different kind of emotion.

“Why are you so angry, Zhou Chulan? Do you care about me?” He stared into Zhou Chulan’s eyes, his gaze probing.

“I’m just caring about someone who narrowly escaped death.” Zhou Chulan let go of Li Zhuoyao’s collar.

“You care about me, so you came as soon as I called.”

“In such a dangerous situation, I would come if anyone asked for my help.”

“You took only 13 minutes to ride a motorcycle here. With such heavy rain, how did you come up the mountain?” Li Zhuoyao relentlessly sought answers, clinging to any condition.

Zhou Chulan lifted his head, and his gaze suddenly turned cold.

“Lives are at stake. Li Zhuoyao, don’t use life as a condition, trying to calculate something. I came to save you today, and now my mission is complete.”

Zhou Chulan left these words, propping himself up with his hands to stand. Li Zhuoyao didn’t move, staring at Zhou Chulan’s eyes. He detected a trace of insincerity in the indifference of Zhou Chulan’s eyes.

Although this emotion was fleeting, in that moment, Li Zhuoyao chose to trust his instincts. The next moment, he decided to follow his instincts. While Zhou Chulan hadn’t stood up yet, he pulled his neck towards him and firmly kissed him.

The power of instinct seemed to be overwhelming and a bit out of control. Li Zhuoyao found that as soon as he relaxed his control over his brain for a moment, his lips immediately pressed against Zhou Chulan’s, almost like an electric shock, a warm electric current flowing through his body in an instant. He felt the spark inside him awakening, slowly burning.

When Li Zhuoyao’s kiss pressed down, Zhou Chulan’s eyes widened instantly. At first, he resisted, trying to push Li Zhuoyao away, but the other’s strength suddenly became astonishing, and he couldn’t push him. In the standoff, Li Zhuoyao seized the opportunity, launching a new wave of attacks on his lips and teeth. What started as light pecks and licks gradually turned into greedy sucking. The wetness of their tongues mixed with the rainwater, stirring everywhere. Li Zhuoyao’s hot breath sprayed low, and Zhou Chulan struggled to resist. Eventually, he gave in and met him halfway. Their tongues began to intertwine in a passionate struggle, neither giving in.

After several rounds, Li Zhuoyao gained the upper hand again. He flipped over, pressing Zhou Chulan underneath. The two chests pressed against each other, and their abdomens clung together. At this moment, he felt like the land that had been flowed over by volcanic lava, his whole body scorching.

“To hell with it, we’ve kissed.” Li Zhuoyao lowered his head, almost frantically biting Zhou Chulan’s lip, almost drawing blood.