WSSAPF chapter 17

Unable to see Zhou Chulan, many shadows of him appeared before Li Zhuoyao’s eyes.

Li Zhuoyao touched his face; it felt hot. His feet seemed to be a bit unsteady. He suddenly remembered that he was drunk.

It was all because of the rice wine he had before setting off in the morning. During breakfast, the chubby chef in charge of cooking poured him some homemade sweet rice wine. It was sweet and delicious, and he had two or three bowls. At first, he didn’t feel anything, but now he was starting to feel dizzy. This homemade wine had a high alcohol content, and its aftereffects were strong. He was gradually getting tipsy.

“Boss? Are you okay?” Xie Jun walked over and supported him.

“I’m fine. The morning rice wine is really strong, and it’s hitting me now.”

There was a tree in front, and Xie Jun helped him walk over to lean against it. Not far from the shooting location, he could see it with just a glance. Li Zhuoyao rested against the tree, observing the shooting situation there.

Xie Jun took out a sachet from his pocket and handed it to Li Zhuoyao.

“Boss, this is for you. I bought it over there just now—a mugwort sachet. They say it can ward off evil spirits.”

“It’s pretty. I’ll hang it in the car later; the one on the car is getting old.”

Xie Jun was very happy to hear this and followed Li Zhuoyao closely for the rest of the day. When the outdoor shooting ended, it was already past 4 in the afternoon. When the car was driving back to the mountain, it was approaching dusk, and the colors of the sun and clouds gradually turned pink.

The director’s team arrived first. Li Zhuoyao got off the car and walked for a few minutes to reach the villa’s entrance. Zheng Nanyun was still busy inside.

“How’s it going?”

“Just finished on time.”

Zheng Nanyun called out to the women to come out of the villa.

“Thanks, everyone. A few hundred meters downhill is our restaurant; you can go there for a meal. There’ll be a car to take you down the mountain later tonight,” Li Zhuoyao said, heading towards the restaurant. After a busy day outside, except for the sticky rice cake, he hadn’t eaten much, and he was very hungry now.

Li Zhuoyao scooped a bowl of rice, added some dishes, and quickly ate his meal. He kept an eye on the time, needing to finish his meal before the artist’s car arrived.

The restaurant was almost empty at this time, with only him and the women who had just finished cleaning. Three or four women sat at a nearby table, towels draped around their necks. When they saw Li Zhuoyao, they greeted him and started chatting while having their meals.

“This job feels quite good, much easier than farming.”

“Yeah, we toil all day in the fields and don’t even make three hundred bucks.”

“Hu Chunyan didn’t come; it’s a bit of a loss. She went to see a doctor just when we need her?”

“I heard Old Zhou called Hu Chunyan before dawn, saying his son Zhou Chulan couldn’t move his legs and was bedridden. He asked Hu Chunyan to come and give him some shots.”

As the women spoke, there was a loud crash, and Li Zhuoyao’s bowl fell to the ground, breaking into pieces, and food scattered everywhere.

“Director, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”

Li Zhuoyao picked up a broom from the corner, swiftly sweeping up the mess on the floor, his eyes dim. After cleaning up, he immediately rushed out of the door, calling Xie Jun on the phone.

“I need to go out for something. Today, you and Sun Ran take care of the shots together.”

His car was parked in the open space behind the activity room. A few minutes later, he ran to the front of the car, opened the door, stepped on the gas, and headed straight downhill.

What happened to Zhou Chulan’s legs? It had only been a little over a week; how did it escalate to the point where he couldn’t get out of bed?

Li Zhuoyao felt anxious and puzzled as he rushed to Zhou Chulan’s home like the wind. The yard gate was open, and no one was in sight.

“Zhou Chulan!” He became anxious, standing in the middle of the yard and shouting.

Zhou’s father came out of the room, seeing Li Zhuoyao, he hurriedly walked towards him.

“Director Li, why are you here now?”

“Where’s Zhou Chulan?”

He asked breathlessly.

“He’s lying inside. The old problem recurred; his legs hurt every time it rains. He woke up this morning and couldn’t move.” The old man sighed.

“Uncle, I want to go in and see him.”

Leading Li Zhuoyao into Zhou Chulan’s room, Zhou’s father pointed inside and then turned to fetch water. Zhou Chulan was wearing a pair of worn-out headphones, leaning on the bed, reading a book. He wore loose sweatpants with the cuffs rolled up, revealing traces of moxibustion. Catching a glimpse of someone entering, he lifted his head and met Li Zhuoyao’s eyes.

“Why are you here?”

“What’s wrong with your legs?”

Their words collided. Li Zhuoyao’s voice was loud, and it clashed with Zhou Chulan’s. The urgency in their tones was unmistakable.

“It’s nothing, just lying down will be fine.” Zhou Chulan replied indifferently.

“Why is it so serious? Because of the continuous rain during this period? Do you get like this every time it rains?” Li Zhuoyao walked over directly, sitting on his bed. It had been a while since he last saw Zhou Chulan, and he looked a bit haggard. He hadn’t shaved properly.

“No, just this time.” Zhou Chulan said.

Zhou’s father came in with a basin of hot water, starting to apply a hot compress to Zhou Chulan’s legs, explaining as he did, “This hasn’t happened before. He went into the mountains for some reason last Tuesday, got soaked in the rain, and this leg, with an old injury, can’t withstand the cold and dampness. With continuous rainy days, this happened this morning…”

“Dad!” Zhou Chulan interrupted his father.

He didn’t want Li Zhuoyao to know the real reason behind his leg injury.

But it was too late. In just a few seconds, Li Zhuoyao’s gaze went from perplexed to slightly stunned, and then turned into sadness.

“It was last Tuesday… that day… the heavy rain day…”

It was the day of their first kiss and separation, the day Zhou Chulan risked his life to save him in the pouring rain.

Li Zhuoyao felt a thunderous roar in his mind.