APR 56

Following Zhong Su's instructions, Shou Hou smoothly drove the car into Yonghe Community and waited downstairs for Zhong Su to change clothes and come down.

As soon as Zhong Su returned to his rented apartment, he immediately took off his clothes. Though it was just an illusion, he faintly felt as if he could still smell the cool, bitter scent of Chen Huan lingering on his body.

He pursed his lips, glanced at the shirt on the bed, and finally tossed it into the basket beside the washing machine instead of the trash bin.

Zhong Su rummaged through the wardrobe for a sweatshirt to change into and hastily pulled it on. Just as he finished dressing, someone suddenly knocked on the door outside. A young male voice asked, "Is anyone home? Excuse me—"

Who would come knocking at a time like this?

Zhong Su instinctively thought it might be loan sharks coming to collect debts, but the person’s tone was gentle and polite, making him hesitate, since when did debt collectors bother with manners?

Without time to think it through, Zhong Su responded, "Coming to open the door, don’t rush."

But he stayed cautious, sliding the security chain into place before opening the door.

Peering through the crack, a familiar tall figure came into view, and Zhong Su couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.

Huh? How could it be…

Standing outside the door was someone who shouldn’t have been there.

The handsome and imposing young police officer was dressed in casual clothes, with gauze and bandages wrapped around his right wrist. A faint trace of blood was visible beneath the bandage.

Even without the dignified aura brought by his police uniform, he still exuded an invisible, undeniable sense of pressure.

"Little brother, good morning." Yu Zizhuo carefully examined Zhong Su, visibly relieved when he found no signs of injury on him.

He lowered his head to meet Zhong Su’s gaze, flashing his usual bright smile, and said, "That’s great. Seeing you safe puts my mind at ease. After those people ran away the night before last, I wanted to find you immediately, but the doctors on the ambulance wouldn’t let me. I had to go to the hospital first to treat my wound."

"Once I finally got bandaged up, I asked my colleagues who returned from the scene, and they all said they hadn’t seen you. I was really worried those people had caught up with you and taken you somewhere else—"

"Hold on." Before he could finish, Zhong Su mercilessly interrupted him, staring intently as he asked, "I just want to know, how did you find out where I live? And why did you come looking for me?"

Yu Zizhuo paused, ignoring the wariness in Zhong Su’s tone, and offered a harmless, genuine smile. "I was worried about you, Zhong Su."

"To be honest, I worry about anyone in a difficult situation, though you might not realize it, you’re in danger right now."

Yu Zizhuo tilted his head slightly, his gaze drifting past the carved window lattice in the hallway to glance downstairs. He spotted Shou Hou smoking beside the car and immediately recognized him as someone with a sinister aura—a thug, a troublemaker, a bad seed. Whatever he was, he was trash that needed to be cleared away.

"Is the person waiting for you downstairs part of the same group from the other night?"

His voice was soft and low, unable to conceal the flicker of anticipation in his eyes as he hinted, "You know, if you’re being harassed or threatened by bad people, tell me. I can help you—no matter who they are, I’ll lock them up in prison and make them deeply reflect on the crimes they’ve committed."

In a sense, Yu Zizhuo was an untainted, inherently good person. He saw himself as a sheepdog, duty-bound to protect defenseless lambs from the wolves.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t understand that not everyone in this world could be neatly divided into good or bad people. Nor did he realize that not all lambs would helplessly beg for salvation, especially when such intrusive concern crossed the line into offense.

Yu Zizhuo’s presumptuous interference in his life had already stepped on Zhong Su’s nerves.

Zhong Su lowered his gaze, his eyes sweeping over the bandage on Yu Zizhuo’s right hand. Out of consideration for the help the other had offered, he kept his tone from turning too harsh. “Thank you for your concern. But if someone really is threatening me, I’ll let you know. If there’s nothing else, I’m in a hurry to get to work, so I won’t chat any longer.”

“Zhong Su, your choice is…” Yu Zizhuo seemed to want to say more, but Zhong Su had already run out of patience. He closed the door without another word.

Bang.

Yu Zizhuo stared at the closed door, the smile on his face slowly fading, replaced by an expression of utter calm, so calm it was almost blank.

He felt an indescribable disappointment. He believed in justice, yet evil always seemed better at winning people over.

Zhong Su listened as the person outside the door seemed to sigh, then heard footsteps fading away down the hallway.

From the sound of it, he was gone.

“What exactly was that cop here for?” Zhong Su pinched the bridge of his nose but couldn’t figure out why Yu Zizhuo was so fixated on him.

Saying my situation is dangerous? Of course being chased for debts is dangerous, but that hardly warrants a police officer showing up specifically to warn me.

Zhong Su couldn’t understand Yu Zizhuo’s thought process, but he knew one thing for sure: it was best not to let Yu Zizhuo and Chen Huan, or anyone under Chen Huan, cross paths. He was all too familiar with the rules of the cat-and-mouse game, and avoiding unnecessary trouble was always the wiser choice.

Right now, the most urgent matter was getting to the filming site to start work.

He tugged at his sweatshirt, made sure he hadn’t forgotten his wallet, cigarettes, or lighter, then headed downstairs and got back into the car driven by Shou Hou.

After a smooth drive, the car arrived at the location for the mid-film scenes. It was an old neighborhood on the city’s outskirts, long ago requisitioned by the government for transportation use. However, due to planning issues, construction had been delayed for years.

About a third of the original residents had already moved away. The street was lined with struggling shops, and even the pavement tiles were uneven in most places. The tangled wires on the poles were enough to make anyone’s scalp crawl.

Jiang Xun’s reason for choosing this place was full of pretentious phrases like “the vanished wildness of the city,” spouting artsy jargon one after another. But in Zhong Su’s eyes, this place was just an ordinary, run-down old neighborhood, nothing special at all.

Seeing a few familiar faces from the production crew already busy setting up caution tape not far away, Zhong Su told Shou Hou to pull over by the roadside. “Alright, you can drop me off here.”

“There’s still a stretch ahead. Are you sure you want to stop here? Fine.” Shou Hou stepped on the brake, bringing the car to a smooth halt.

Zhong Su pushed the door open and got out, thanking Shou Hou. “By the way, when you head back later, let Chen Huan know for me, I tossed his clothes into the washing machine. Once they’re dry, I’ll find a time to return them to him… if he still wants them.”

"Alright. I'll let Brother Chen know." Shou Hou replied simply. Having completed the drop-off task, he didn't linger. Turning the steering wheel right, he drove back the way he came to report to Chen Huan.

Zhong Su glanced at his phone: 8:54. Still on time. He walked toward the bustling production crew and casually stopped a staff member. "Excuse me, have you seen Director Jiang? Where is he now?"

The staff member looked up, startled to see Zhong Su. After a moment's recognition, he pointed in a direction. "Ah, D-Director Jiang? He just went over there on his rounds. You should catch him if you go now."

"Thanks." Zhong Su headed in the indicated direction, unaware of the faint sympathy in the staff member's eyes as he watched him walk away.

A coworker approached and nudged the staff member's elbow. "Hey, wasn't that the new guy who didn't show up yesterday? What did he ask you?"

"Nothing much. Just where Director Jiang is. Probably knows he messed up and wants to apologize to the director."

"Apologize?" The newcomer chuckled with schadenfreude. "Hah, he's in for it then. Yesterday, Director Jiang tore into those stunt performers, cursing their ancestors eighteen generations back. Those tough martial artists nearly had red-rimmed eyes and almost started a fight with the director. Couldn't hold them back."

"Tell me about it." The staff member shook his head, recalling yesterday's volcanic eruption of chaos with a shudder. "Of all people to stand up, it had to be Director Jiang… This new guy really doesn't know any better."

Zhong Su reached the indicated spot and scanned the crowd, looking for that perpetually megaphone-clutching, greasy, and disheveled figure.

Suddenly, a familiar wail exploded from behind him. "Zhong Su! Oh my god, bro! Where have you been?!"

"Hmm?" Zhong Su turned to see Xiao Lao Dao rushing toward him in a panic, his cheeks jiggling like a startled groundhog.

Seeing him about to crash into him, Zhong Su raised a hand to block. "Stop. Stand still and talk properly. What's wrong? Why so flustered?"

"Me flustered? You're the one who should be flustered!" Xiao Lao Dao looked incredulous, his voice cracking as it rose an octave. "You didn't show up at the filming site yesterday, no call, nothing! Do you have any idea how terrifying Uncle is when he loses his temper—"

"Zheng Leyou, what are you yelling about?! Can't you see I'm briefing the extras? You're so loud even the ghosts can't hear!"

Standing in the corner, Jiang Xun shot an impatient glare. Spotting the person behind Xiao Lao Dao, he immediately frowned. "Wait, who are you talking to? Is that Zhong Su?"

"Ah, no, n-no one, Uncle."

"No one my foot, I can see him. Move aside, you idiot. I need to talk to Zhong Su."

Xiao Lao Dao instinctively tried to block Zhong Su with his larger frame, but too afraid of Jiang Xun's scolding, he reluctantly stepped aside. He patted Zhong Su's shoulder nervously. "Sorry, buddy. I really can't cover for you. You're on your own now."

"Just bear with it. Treat it like watching a monkey show. Uncle will probably jump around yelling for half an hour at most before he's done."

Before Xiao Lao Dao could finish speaking, Jiang Xun, looking rather displeased, walked over. It seemed as if someone had punched him several times in the face, his nose and eyes were bruised and swollen, making his already unremarkable features appear even more disheveled.

"Zhong Su, you…" Jiang Xun furrowed his brows, starting off with a fierce tone, but his words abruptly shifted mid-sentence, his voice awkwardly softening. "You… if you need to take leave next time, at least call ahead and let us know. Not being able to find you had everyone worried.

"It wasn’t until Mr. Chen called yesterday, saying you accompanied him inland and couldn’t make it to the filming site, that we finally relaxed."

After saying this, Jiang Xun’s face had already flushed bright red, whether from frustration or embarrassment. He wanted to curse, but the thought of Zhong Su having the formidable Chen Huan backing him made him hold back any harsh words.

Zhong Su watched him, feeling almost uncomfortable at how stifled he seemed, and cleared his throat lightly. "Alright, if something comes up next time, I’ll notify the production crew in advance.

Jiang Xun had braced himself for Zhong Su to act difficult, never expecting him to cooperate so easily.

Jiang Xun choked back his words, smoothed his bangs, and said awkwardly, "Ahem, as long as you understand. Hurry and go get your makeup done. We start shooting in half an hour, and we have to make up for yesterday’s delays today. No time to waste."

With that, he turned and rejoined the crowd, continuing to brief the extras on their scenes.

Witnessing this, the onlookers who had been waiting for a spectacle all widened their eyes in surprise. Zhou Kaiwen, who often got scolded for being late or leaving early, was the first to voice his discontent.

"This is so unfair," Zhou Kaiwen didn’t bother hiding his indignation, deliberately muttering loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear. "Why does this newcomer get off without a lecture? He was missing the entire day yesterday, that’s not just being late, that’s skipping work.

"Usually acting all proper and punctual, and then this? How can he still have the nerve to put on a cold, aloof act?"

Zhong Su completely ignored him, offering no response to Zhou Kaiwen’s sarcastic remarks, and headed straight for the Makeup Vehicle.

"…Hey, I’m talking to you. Why are you walking away? Feeling guilty? Say something." Seeing that Zhong Su wouldn’t engage, Zhou Kaiwen tried to stop him, stubbornly dragging the matter on.