On hot days, everyone was lethargic and listless. The stench from the landfill was overwhelming, and the smell kept spreading towards the office building.
So much had happened in these two months. During the day, she worked under pressure and endured the stench. At night, Lin Chu had nightmares. The bizarre and fantastical spaces were filled with all sorts of strange scenes. When she woke up, all that was left was a vague and oppressive impression, and the images were completely black in her mind.
She decided to relax, plan her work hours reasonably, and get a good rest after work.
Ye Jing had been busy with something lately and hadn’t had time to come out, so Lin Chu went to the cinema by Nanhu Lake and chose a newly released art film.
The theater was nearly empty with few viewers. After sitting for a while, seeing that no one else was coming in, Lin Chu hunched over and sneaked to a seat in the first row. She took out some snacks she had bought at the supermarket from her bag and started eating them quietly.
When Wang Ming called, the movie was already halfway through. Lin Chu was so engrossed in watching that she answered without even looking at the number. When she heard the other end say, “This is Wang Ming,” the unchewed snack suddenly got stuck in her throat, and she coughed loudly, which sounded abrupt against the backdrop of the quiet music.
Lin Chu responded in a low voice. Wang Ming paused before saying, “I saw the news about your company a while ago, about the performance by Nanhu Lake. I was going to call you to ask about it, but I haven’t had the time. How have you been lately?”
Lin Chu covered her phone and whispered, “It’s fine.”
Wang Ming then asked, “Is it at the movie theater?”
Lin Chu said, “Yes, I’m watching a movie, so it’s not convenient to make a phone call.”
After a moment of thought, Wang Ming said, “Are you going home on Friday? I’m going back this weekend. If you’re going back too, I can give you a ride.”
Lin Chu smiled and replied, “No need. I get off work early, so our schedules don’t match. It’s easy for me to get home, so there’s no need to trouble yourself.”
Wang Ming didn’t press the issue, simply saying he’d like to come out for dinner sometime, and then hung up the phone.
Lin Chu stuffed her phone back into her bag and continued fiddling with snacks. The male and female protagonists on the screen were gazing deeply into each other’s eyes when she suddenly felt a burning heat on the top of her head, rhythmically rising and falling. Lin Chu’s scalp immediately tingled. She gripped her shoulder bag tightly, slowly tilted her head back, and looked upwards.
The next second she almost cried out in surprise. A pair of eyes stared intently at her, lips about to touch her forehead. Lin Chu opened her mouth, which was immediately covered by a large hand, the lips above her head opening and closing: “Trying to call back your soul? It’s me!”
Lin Chu let out a sigh of relief, then immediately went limp, her heart pounding erratically. She turned her head away, yanked Jiang Jin’s hand away, and angrily said, “Are you crazy?!”
Jiang Jin curled his lips, braced his hands against the sofa chair, and easily flipped over, startling Lin Chu so much that she almost cried out for help. The chair wobbled noticeably.
“Who was sneaking up ahead like that, talking on the phone here without any consideration for others? It’s you!” Jiang Jin sat down comfortably, ignoring Lin Chu’s anger.
Lin Chu felt a little embarrassed and couldn’t help but look back. Seeing that the number of audience members hadn’t increased and they were still sparsely gathered in the back row, she felt more confident: “It’s still better than you, jumping over from the back!”
Jiang Jin snorted and pointed at the huge screen: “What’s so great about this movie? You actually went to the front row, aren’t you afraid of hurting your eyes!”
Lin Chu said, “Why are you looking at it if it’s not good?”
Jiang Jin sighed helplessly, “Work. Write a movie review, and this is the amount.” He held up his finger without explicitly stating it, but Lin Chu, who estimated the unit to be two zeros, was astonished and filled with envy.
The two stopped chatting and focused intently on the screen. After a moment, Jiang Jin reached out and touched the snacks in Lin Chu’s hand. Lin Chu immediately tried to dodge to the side, but he still managed to grab a large handful. Lin Chu found his overly familiar manner unbelievable.
After the movie ended, Lin Chu rushed out, and Jiang Jin followed closely behind. A large number of people poured out of the adjacent screening rooms, and Lin Chu disappeared from sight in a moment. Jiang Jin felt bored and slowly walked out of the movie theater.
Lin Chu wandered aimlessly through the streets, browsing through several clothing stores without intending to buy anything. The summer night was quiet on a weekday, and the sales assistants patiently explained things to her, not minding that Lin Chu wasn’t interested.
On the way back, Lin Chu packed two duck heads, went inside, closed the door, turned on her computer, and fell asleep promptly at 11 p.m., enjoying a good night’s sleep.
For some reason, Yang Chunbei had a special fondness for Lin Chu. During lunch, she would leave her colleagues behind and sit with Lin Chu, chatting and laughing. After work, she would wait for Lin Chu downstairs in the office building and go to the bus stop together.
She often complained to Lin Chu about her colleagues at work. Some of them, relying on their seniority and family connections, acted arrogantly and bullied newcomers like Yang Chunbei. Yang Chunbei retorted, “In this whole building, everyone has a powerful backer. They look down on people and make things difficult for me all the time. They make me accompany the manager to social events I don’t want to attend. Do they really think I’m easy to bully? I’m not that stupid!”
Lin Chu smiled, offered a few words of comfort, and when the bus arrived, she quickly waved goodbye and left the trouble behind.
After work on Thursday, Yang Chunbei asked Lin Chu to go shopping again. Knowing her stubbornness, Lin Chu took out a movie ticket and waved it: “I’m going to see a movie, sorry!”
Yang Chunbei said dejectedly, “Ah, I don’t really like watching movies.”
The two parted ways at the station. Lin Chu sat by Nanhu Lake, found a fast food restaurant, casually bought two dishes, and ate them slowly while waiting for the movie to start.
Halfway through her meal, she looked out the window. The streets were bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, and vendors carrying windmills or candied hawthorns were heading home from the other side of South Lake. In the background, the hills were shrouded in a fiery orange-red glow, and clusters of clouds seemed to be breathing out the hottest waves.
Lin Chu saw Ye Jing walking towards her from a distance, holding a small fan in her hand. The man beside her was laughing and joking with her, trying to snatch it. Soon the two were embracing tightly, with the fan placed in the center.
Lin Chu took another bite of food, took out her phone and dialed a number, saying calmly, “Come with me to see a movie.”
The other end of the phone was noisy, and Ye Jing stammered, “I’m working overtime, something’s up.”
Seeing the man move his lips as if asking a question, Lin Chu said, “I’ve done some calculations, and you’re currently experiencing a surge in your love luck!”
Ye Jing couldn’t help but laugh: “When did you become a fortune teller!”
Lin Chu smiled and said, “I also predicted that you would abandon the past, start anew, find a perfect husband, and let bygones be bygones.” She said casually, “That would be good. Everyone would be happy with Cheng Qiaoan.”
Ye Jing suddenly fell silent, and after a long while, she gave an indistinct reply. Lin Chu stopped bothering her, hung up the phone, and continued eating.
The next day, Friday, Lin Chu had to catch the bus home again. Just before the end of the workday, her supervisor assigned her a task, and Lin Chu hurriedly revised the document to submit it before 5 p.m.
An hour late, and with rush hour upon her, Lin Chu was worried about missing the last bus at the third stop, so she grabbed her shoulder bag and rushed towards the platform. Just as she reached the gate, she heard a car horn honking by the roadside. Wang Ming leaned out and laughed, “Why are you getting off work so late? Going back to Chuqian? I’ll give you a ride!”
Lin Chu stopped, panting as she declined. Wang Ming drove up beside her and continued to persuade her, glancing at the time again and reminding her, “What if you miss the bus? Taking a taxi home is too expensive!”
Lin Chu hesitated for a moment before thanking him, and Wang Ming hurriedly opened the car door for her.
As they drove towards Chuqian, their conversation was sporadic. Wang Ming wasn’t good at chatting and, fearing that Lin Chu would feel awkward, simply turned on the radio and listened to music as they arrived in Chuqian. It was only six o’clock, much earlier than Lin Chu usually got home.
Lin Chu asked him to stop the car on the main street of Chuqian, thanked him a few more times, and waved goodbye. Only after the car had driven far away did she leisurely head home.
However, just two weeks later, most of the nearby buildings were demolished, a cordon was set up along the roadside, and workers were nailing up advertising banners next to the wall, with the project company’s name prominently printed in the center.
Shen Zhongxun walked out of the construction site, his right hand bleeding profusely. He loosened his tie to cover the wound, and when he looked up, he saw Lin Chu slowly walking past him. He couldn’t help but call out, “Lin Chu.”
Lin Chu turned her head at the sound and was surprised to see a patch of blood on Shen Zhongxun’s hand. “Manager Shen!”
Shen Zhongxun walked towards her and asked, “Where is the nearest hospital?”
Lin Chu gave the street name, then realized he probably didn’t know it, and searched around for vehicles, but couldn’t find any tricycles. Shen Zhongxun freed his hand to take out his car keys. “Could you give me directions? The workers have all gone home, and there’s no one to help!”
Seeing that he was bleeding profusely, Lin Chu did not hesitate and immediately got into his car.
Shen Zhongxun’s right hand was injured, so he couldn’t drive. Lin Chu’s driving skills were poor, and she struggled to start the car, causing it to stall immediately and the car to shake. Shen Zhongxun turned the car key for her, showing her the steps one by one. Lin Chu followed his instructions, and the car restarted in a moment, quickly heading towards Chuqian Hospital.
Shen Zhongxun told her to slow down. “No need to rush, take your time.” He explained briefly, “I suddenly wanted to go to the construction site for a walk, and when I tripped, I grabbed a steel bar next to me. Who knew there was a sharp point on it, and my palm got cut. The workers left early today, so I couldn’t find anyone to help me.”
Lin Chu nodded, exchanged a few words with him, and soon they arrived at their destination.
Chuqian Hospital wasn’t very big, only four floors in total. Lin Chu had some impression of the departments, so she took Shen Zhongxun directly to the second floor, handed him over to the doctor who was seeing him, and then ran downstairs to register.
After running up, Lin Chu placed the newly issued medical record on the desk. The doctor was treating Shen Zhongxun’s wound. The wound was quite deep, and Lin Chu couldn’t bear to see the blood, so she looked away. Her mother called to ask when she would be home, and Lin Chu walked to the side and replied, “I have something to do. Don’t wait for me, you and Dad. I’ll be there later.”
Lin’s mother said directly, “I’ll put the food in the refrigerator for you. Your father and I are going to play mahjong. Heat it up yourself when you get back.”
Lin Chu quickly responded, and only after hanging up the phone did she realize that Shen Zhongxun had been watching her the whole time.
Shen Zhongxun smiled and said, “You can go back now. Thank you for your help today.”
Although Lin Chu was eager to go home, she remembered that Shen Zhongxun had been kind to her before, so she said, “It’s okay, I’ll take you home later. You can’t drive.”
Shen Zhongxun did not refuse and gave a soft “hmm.” The doctor’s movements were a bit rough, but he remained calm and sat up straight.
A moment later, Lin Chu and Shen Zhongxun went downstairs, then went to get the medicine. Carrying large and small bags, they drove him back, giving instructions on the procedure for changing and taking the medicine along the way.
Shen Zhongxun rummaged through the plastic bag, took out a strip of pills and swallowed it whole. He pointed to the road ahead and drove around in circles until he stopped at a residential building. Lin Chu asked in surprise, “You live here?”
Shen Zhongxun nodded: “The location here is quite good, convenient for going out, and usually quiet.”
Lin Chu smiled and said, “What a coincidence! My grandparents live here; they live on the third floor.”
Shen Zhongxun had already gotten out of the car. Holding onto the car door, he glanced up at the building and couldn’t help but smile, “What a coincidence, I live on the second floor.” After saying that, he thanked Lin Chu again.
Lin Chu quickly waved her hand: “You helped me last time too, this is just to pay you back, no need to thank me.”
Shen Zhongxun suddenly fell silent. Lin Chu didn’t notice and urged him to go upstairs quickly. She then turned around and walked back.
Shen Zhongxun couldn’t help but call out to her, “Why don’t you go see your grandparents while you’re at it?”
Lin Chu smiled and said, “I’ll come over tomorrow. They go to bed early tonight, so I won’t disturb them.”
Shen Zhongxun gave a faint “hmm” and stood at the entrance of the stairwell, watching Lin Chu leave quickly.
Back in the room, Shen Zhongxun took out the medicine box, gauze, and medicine solution one by one. After checking the instructions, he casually picked up the medical record card. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the handwriting on the medical record and couldn’t help but take a second look.
His name and date of birth were handwritten on the cover of the temporary medical record card. The handwriting was neat and the corners were rounded. The name was correct, but the date of birth was made up. Shen Zhongxun curled his lips and stuffed the medical record card into the coffee table drawer.
Lin Chu finally arrived home and hurriedly heated up some food to soothe her stomach. When she was picking up food, she suddenly noticed the few specks of blood on the back of her hand. She immediately lost her appetite and quickly ran to the bathroom to wash it off.
The next day, she slept until late morning. Lin’s mother made two boxes of chive dumplings and pointed to the mangosteens on the table, asking Lin Chu to take them to her grandparents. Lin Chu, still sleepy, went to the bathroom to wash up. Her mother said, “Your father went to the factory in the suburbs to repair machines and won’t be back for dinner today. I’m going shopping with my girlfriends later. Why don’t you eat at your grandparents’ house tonight and come back after dinner?”
Lin Chu mumbled a reply, still half asleep. Her mother then probed, “Next time you’re free, come shopping with me. You know Aunt Wu, she’s the one who introduced Xiao Wang to you. By the way, how are things going between you and Xiao Wang lately?”
Lin Chu immediately snapped out of it, gargling as she said, “It’s… okay…”
Lin’s mother smiled with relief and packed the last ten dumplings into a food storage container.
As fate would have it, Lin Chu arrived at her grandparents’ house and knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. Her grandparents didn’t have cell phones, and the landline went unanswered. Lin Chu squatted at the door for a while, but couldn’t bear the hunger and mosquito bites any longer. She called her mother, who told her to wait a while. She asked Lin Chu’s aunt, who said her grandparents had probably gone to a temple in the mountains and would be back by lunchtime. Lin Chu wiped her sweat and looked at the blazing sun outside the stairwell window. It was well past lunchtime, and she was starving.
Lin Chu decided to come back in the evening. As she went downstairs, she passed the second floor and suddenly had a thought: to ask Shen Zhongxun to give the food to her grandparents. But she quickly put the thought to rest.
Shen Zhongxun stood behind the door, carrying a trash bag. Through the open peephole, he could vaguely see a figure. He took a step forward and, sure enough, saw Lin Chu standing at the door. She glanced at his door a few times before going downstairs. Shen Zhongxun frowned, stood there for a while, and then opened the door and went downstairs. Downstairs, he heard someone outside say, “She said she’d be back by noon, but I couldn’t wait any longer, so I went home first. I was thinking of asking someone to give food to Grandpa and Grandma, but I’m not close to them, so I felt a little embarrassed. I have to go again tonight; I’m exhausted.” “Do you think I’m as shameless as you? I’ll find you when I get back. What have you been busy with lately? You can tell me!”
Shen Zhongxun only went outside after Lin Chu hung up the phone. Lin Chu was not expected to appear suddenly and nodded awkwardly in greeting. Shen Zhongxun nodded, threw away the trash, and suddenly called out to Lin Chu, who was already walking forward: “Give me the things, I’ll give them to your grandparents.”
Lin Chu turned around in surprise, realizing that he had overheard her phone call. She was a little displeased, but then thought that he probably didn’t mean it, so she smiled and said, “No need, thank you.”
Shen Zhongxun had already approached her and reached out to take the plastic bag from Lin Chu’s hand. “It’s so hot, these dumplings have all gone soggy.”
Lin Chu couldn’t help but look at his meticulously bandaged right hand, somewhat surprised by his skill. She felt slightly embarrassed. She had only intended to hand over the task to someone else, but now she suddenly remembered that Shen Zhongxun was a stranger. If her grandparents asked, she would have to explain herself.
Shen Zhongxun suddenly blurted out, “Why don’t you come to my house and wait for me? You can deliver it to your grandparents yourself when they get back. You helped me yesterday, so I’ll consider this my way of thanking you.”
Lin Chu was reluctant to go to his house, as they weren’t familiar with each other. However, Shen Zhongxun turned around without saying a word and walked straight into the building. Lin Chu quickly called out “Hey, hey” twice and reached for the plastic bag in his hand. In just a few steps, they had reached the top of the stairs. Shen Zhongxun opened the door and invited her in.
![The Return of The Lord God[quick wear]](https://i2.wp.com/knoxt.space/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/007S8ZIlly1ghl04hyuxyj30hs0owwgu.jpg?resize=85,105 "The Return of The Lord God[quick wear]")
Caz On AFDF Chapter 77