APR 47

Since the others still had scenes to shoot and it wasn’t time to wrap up yet, Zhong Su returned to the filming site with a heart full of complicated emotions.

With the Producer personally overseeing the subsequent shoot, Zhou Kaiwen’s troublemaking was considerably restrained. Surprisingly, the filming wrapped up quickly, and for the first time, the entire production crew got off work on time.

After removing his makeup in the Makeup Vehicle, Zhong Su still rode home in Xiao Lao Dao’s car.

The dazzling street scenes slowly drifted past the car window as Xiao Lao Dao fiddled with the gearshift, rambling on in what was ostensibly complaining but actually showing off his relationship: “My girlfriend has been calling me every day lately, wanting me to go home and keep her company. I’m so busy I’m about to drop dead, where would I find the time? When I say I can’t go back, she throws a fit, insisting I’ve changed and found someone else outside.”

Xiao Lao Dao now served as half of Zhong Su’s Agent, having to cross the city before dawn every day to wake Zhong Su up, then drive him to the filming site. He also helped liaise with the production crew, handled matters for outdoor shoots, occasionally got kicked by Jiang Xun, and ran errands for him.

A plump little fellow had been relentlessly whipped by life into a spinning top, busy day and night without pause, looking noticeably more haggard.

Zhong Su had originally treated Xiao Lao Dao’s daily grumbling as white noise radio, letting him vent his grievances without caring much about what was said, listening with detached indifference.

But today, burdened with his own thoughts, he unusually interrupted Xiao Lao Dao, saying, “If you don’t want her clinging so tightly, why not make it clear to her? Keep a little distance between the two of you.”

Xiao Lao Dao was taken aback, looking at Zhong Su with some puzzlement. “Are you serious? You haven’t seen my girlfriend when she goes crazy. If I dare say no, she’ll tear me apart with her bare hands.”

“It’s normal to want to stick close to someone you like. Weren’t you pretty clingy with Bai Ruolin before, even though she was so annoying?” Speaking of that shameless woman, Xiao Lao Dao still felt indignant. She had mocked him openly and subtly several times as a “fat pig,” and if it weren’t for Zhong Su’s sake, he would have hit a woman.

Zhong Su took a drag of his cigarette, eyes slightly narrowed. After a long while, he exhaled a faint blue cloud of smoke and said something seemingly out of nowhere, his tone unreadable: “Yeah, so now that I know how the other person feels, I can’t cling anymore. Have to keep my distance.”

Arriving at the residential complex, Xiao Lao Dao dropped Zhong Su off, leaning his plump round face out the car window to look at him. “The next few days are all night shoots, so we won’t start until the afternoon. I won’t come so early to wake you up, remember to get more sleep.”

“Got it,” Zhong Su replied flatly, waving him off. “You can go.”

“Fine, I’m going.” Xiao Lao Dao smiled until his eyes narrowed into straight lines, like a prisoner finally granted parole. He stepped on the gas and sped off toward the freedom of being off work.

Once the Mazda disappeared from sight, Zhong Su turned and went upstairs, taking out his keys to unlock the door and enter.

Although his finances had improved a bit, because he needed to save for travel and living expenses, Zhong Su hadn’t replaced anything in his rented apartment. He pressed the ignition button on the old water heater, took a simple shower with the hot water, and went to bed.

But tonight, he slept restlessly. Zhong Su had a nightmare.

In his dream, Zhong Su was pinned down by Chen Huan, pressed onto a bed with his shoulder blades restrained. In his vision, the man’s sharp jawline swayed, sweat droplets trickling down his golden-brown skin and dripping onto Zhong Su’s body, like sparks so scorching they could burn, making him want to escape.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t push the person off him, only passively enduring Chen Huan’s clinging embrace, like prey encircled by a python’s tail.

Chen Huan’s sharp canine teeth nibbled at the skin of his neck, slowly and deliberately sucking and biting, his lips curled in a bold and frivolous smile: “…Do you like it?”

“!” Zhong Su abruptly opened his eyes, hearing the alarm clock beside him incessantly ringing, clattering annoyingly.

Zhong Su turned off the alarm and stood up, one hand covering his face, feeling as if his entire body had been crushed by stones, heavy and sore, especially around his neck—stiff and painful, as if he could still feel the bite marks left by the dream.

“I’m not a child anymore, yet I still manage to sleep with a stiff neck.” Zhong Su rubbed his shoulders and neck, his expression somewhat displeased. Chen Huan’s presence and invasive aura were too strong; even when not physically present, just a single sentence could unsettle him completely.

Unable to overcome this hurdle, Zhong Su spent several days at the filming site finishing his scenes and then retreating into Xiao Lao Dao’s car to rest, avoiding open spaces and somewhat evading Chen Huan.

However, even without deliberately avoiding him, Chen Huan did not appear at the filming site again over the following days.

Today’s night scenes were scheduled tightly; Zhong Su started late and finished late, leaving the filming site at 22:00.

Xiao Lao Dao covered his mouth, yawned loudly, glanced at his phone, and exclaimed in surprise: “Damn, we only shot a few scenes, and it’s already ten o’clock? That’s really tough.”

“Zhong Su, wait a moment. Today I parked my car in the outer parking lot; I’ll go and drive it over.”

“Alright.” Zhong Su nodded.

Xiao Lao Dao was searching for his car keys in his pocket when his phone suddenly rang.

He answered without looking: “Hey, who is it—”

“Who? You deadhead, Zheng Leyou, you dare ask who I am!”

Hearing the furious female voice on the other end, Xiao Lao Dao’s face instantly paled. He softened his tone, flattering obsequiously: “Darling sweetheart, I didn’t notice it was you calling earlier. If I had known it was you, I definitely wouldn’t have asked like that.”

“…Come home now? No, I still need to drive my buddy, what? I didn’t go to bars with other women, I’m really working, this week has been busy, don’t always be so suspicious, okay?”

The woman seemed to scream something; Zhong Su standing nearby could hear her piercing, ear-shattering screech: “You’re not home by ten o’clock, you fat bastard, are you trying to break up now?”

Even Xiao Lao Dao, with top-tier tolerance for scolding, couldn’ withstand this lethal sonic assault. His normally broad features scrunched together, he moved the phone farther away, as if having swallowed a whole sour lemon: “What breakup? No, I didn’t say breakup… Wait, don’t hang up on me.”

“Beep—” Xiao Lao Dao was hung up on, completely frantic, grabbing his hair while complaining: “Women are so troublesome, this isn’t okay, that isn’t okay, even coaxing doesn’t work. This lady really wants to torment me to death before she’s happy.”

Seeing him in distress, Zhong Su pressed a hand on his shoulder and said calmly, “Alright, stop wasting time here. I’ll just take the last bus home myself today. You should hurry back and smooth things over.”

“Zhong Su, you’re so good to me…” Xiao Lao Dao looked up, moved, his eyes seeming to glisten with tears: “Good brother, then I’ll go back and put out the fire. I’ll definitely treat you to morning tea first thing tomorrow.”

Zhong Su waved him off, unconcerned.

Xiao Lao Dao frantically stuffed his phone into his pocket and, despite his hefty build, ran panting toward the parking lot. From behind, he looked like a wobbly, rolling ball—a bit pitiful and a bit funny.

Watching him disappear from sight, Zhong Su glanced around and headed down the road to the left.

The film and television park was located in a rather remote area. Zhong Su walked at a leisurely pace for about ten minutes. During this time, it began to rain. A few strands of rain fell on Zhong Su’s face, and within seconds, the downpour intensified, the raindrops striking his skin with a cold, stinging pain.

Zhong Su wiped the rain from his face and looked up, spotting a bus station in the distance. Under the iron shelter stood seven or eight people, either waiting for the bus or taking shelter from the rain.

Just as he was dozing off, a pillow arrived.

Without hesitation, Zhong Su jogged a few steps through the rain and ducked under the shelter as well.

The rain formed a curtain, and many people in the misty downpour were still scrambling to find cover.

The bus stop sign stood to the side, clearly displaying the bus routes and schedules. Zhong Su brushed the water droplets off his clothes and walked over to the sign. Running his index finger over the plastic board, he confirmed the bus he needed to take: “Route 203 and Route 104 both pass through Lidun Avenue along the way. In that case, taking either one doesn’t make much difference…”

Just as he was planning his route, a small, warm hand gently encircled his left hand, which hung at his side.

“Hmm?” Zhong Su instinctively looked down and saw a little girl in a pink dress who, for some reason, had taken hold of him.

The little girl looked up. She appeared to be only four or five years old, her big eyes wide and brimming with tears as she gazed at the young man before her, dragging out her sobs: “I want Mommy… give me my mommy…”

“Mommy?” Zhong Su’s throat tightened, and he frowned awkwardly, asking, “Kid, are you lost?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the little girl suddenly burst into loud sobs, clutching Zhong Su’s hand tightly: “Wah—Mommy! Mommy, where are you? I’m so scared—!”

Her crying not only made Zhong Su’s temples throb but also drew sharp glances from the passersby around them, who muttered suspiciously about whether he was a child trafficker.

Zhong Su swept a cold gaze over them, but faced with this little girl who had dissolved into tears, he was at a loss for a good solution.

He bent down slightly, cleared his throat, and tried to soften his tone: “Stop crying, it won’t help. Tell me clearly where you got separated from your mo—mommy? I’ll take you to find her.”

But these words had no effect. The little girl’s tears fell like broken strings, her shoulders shaking as she cried, completely immersed in her own world and paying no attention to Zhong Su.

Unable to get any information from her, Zhong Su could only take out his phone and prepare to call the police. He had just pressed the first number.

Suddenly, a clear male voice came from behind him, speaking gently, “If you ask questions so directly, the little girl will get scared. You need to coax her with candy.”