Chapter 13

Chapter 13

No one expected the obstacle board to collapse so suddenly. The guests and staff on the field were stunned for a moment before screams broke out. They'd used dense wood to make the board sturdy—if it landed on someone, it was no joke.

The director wasn't about to sit still. He sprang to his feet. "Go lift the board! Save them!"

If both special guests got hurt, he could kiss his show's reputation goodbye.

A crowd rushed over, but they inevitably slowed down once they hit the mud pit.

There was no movement under the obstacle board. The director was frantic. "Hurry!"

The chaotic noise from outside was muffled by the board. Chu Heng gritted his teeth, one hand propping up the board, the other pressing down on He Mingshuang's shoulder, straining to hold steady. He heard soft sobs that quickly stopped.

Faint light seeped through tiny cracks, leaving everything dim. It was hard for Chu Heng to turn his head. He glanced down at He Mingshuang and saw only the top of her dark hair.

His body was slowly sinking. Chu Heng struggled to move his arm against the board's weight. "Are you okay?"

He Mingshuang had landed sitting in the mud. When the board came down, she hadn't had time to adjust her posture, and he had shoved her down further. She was probably twisted up awkwardly now.

The shoulder under his arm shifted slightly. From the corner of his eye, Chu Heng saw He Mingshuang shake her head. As if realizing he couldn't see, she quickly added, "I'm fine. What about you?"

The spot where the board pressed against him burned with pain. His body, buried in mud, felt awful. The sludge pressed against his chest, bringing a faint sense of suffocation. Chu Heng thought to himself he was about to die from discomfort, but said aloud, "I'm fine."

He Mingshuang didn't speak. Instead, she raised her arm, also trying to support the obstacle board overhead.

Her voice sounded choked, carrying a barely noticeable sob. "Thank you," she said.

"Don't mention it. Anyone in this situation wouldn't just stand by and watch."

"I don't just mean that." The arm pressing on her shoulder was solid and strong, even a bit heavy. Yet in that heaviness, He Mingshuang felt a long-lost sense of security. If Chu Heng hadn't pressed her down in time, her head would've likely been smashed open.

He Mingshuang's nose stung with emotion. "Thank you for looking out for me today."

She didn't know why Chu Heng—usually so aloof, treating her as just a senior colleague—was acting so different today. But she was genuinely grateful.

Chu Heng seemed to think of something and fell silent.

He pushed with his elbow, trying to shift the obstacle board overhead. To his surprise, the board actually moved.

Chu Heng was stunned, not yet processing what happened, when all the pressure on his arm vanished instantly. A flood of light poured in from around them. The obstacle board separated from his forearm and continued moving upward.

Chu Heng turned his head in a daze and saw two legs in black jeans standing beside him. He looked up and saw Chen Jinsheng gripping the edges of the obstacle board with both hands. Veins bulged on the back of his hands, his knuckles white and prominent. Relying solely on his hands, he had lifted the heavy board.

His baseball cap was gone. After lifting the board about a meter high, he looked down, brows tightly furrowed. Dark emotions churned in his deep eyes, making him appear somewhat grim.

He quickly scanned Chu Heng, his gaze lingering for a moment on Chu Heng's still-raised forearm before sweeping over He Mingshuang, who was sheltered under Chu Heng's arm. His brows relaxed slightly, but his eyes grew even darker.

Chu Heng ducked his head, feeling inexplicably guilty, and pulled both arms back.

Chen Jinsheng no longer looked at him. The muscles in his arms bulged instantly. The obstacle board was lifted high and then, with a powerful force, pushed to the other side, finally landing heavily in another part of the mud pit with a dull thud.

Without a glance, he crouched down, reached out his arms, went under Chu Heng's armpits, delved further into the mud, and finally wrapped them around Chu Heng's waist, lifting him out of the pit.

The momentum forced him to stagger back a few steps. Chu Heng was completely lifted, his feet not touching the ground as he leaned toward Chen Jinsheng.

Their bodies pressed close. The arm around his waist kept tightening. Chu Heng looked up and saw a large crowd of staff swarming over.

He hesitated for a moment, then patted Chen Jinsheng's back. "I'm okay."

Then he pushed against Chen Jinsheng's shoulder. "Put me down."

Chen Jinsheng ignored him. Just as Chu Heng was about to push harder, he was set down. Before he could even sigh in relief, Chen Jinsheng suddenly took off his jacket and draped it over Chu Heng's head. Then he turned around and, without a word, hoisted Chu Heng onto his back.

The jacket retained Chen Jinsheng's body heat, blocking out the annoying autumn rain. Warmth continuously emanated from Chen Jinsheng's solid back and powerful hands. Chu Heng looked down at his own feet.

Both rain boots were left deep in the mud pit. His black mid-calf socks were half-off, caked with mud, almost becoming a pair of uniquely styled shoes.

Chu Heng suddenly lost all strength and slumped resignedly onto Chen Jinsheng's back.

Chen Jinsheng paused.

Chu Heng remembered something. "Wait."

He turned his head and said softly to He Mingshuang, who was still sitting in the mud, "Sister Shuang, your clothes have ridden up. Also, smear some mud on your face."

He Mingshuang was startled. After a few seconds, she hurriedly looked down, pulled her shirt—which had scrunched up to her ribs—back down to cover the bruise on her waist, then frantically grabbed mud to smear on her face.

After her makeup came off, the purplish finger marks hidden under the foundation were exposed. Now they were covered again by the mud.

After doing all this, He Mingshuang looked up, her eyes slightly red. "You..."

Chu Heng smiled and turned back around.

Chen Jinsheng hadn't carried him far before they were surrounded by staff.

"Teacher Chu, are you okay?"

"His forearm is injured. Hurry, take Teacher Chu to get it treated."

"We're really sorry, Teacher Chu. We checked everything carefully before the competition started. We don't know why this still happened."

Everyone was talking at once, saying all sorts of things.

Chu Heng's head ached from the noise when he heard Chen Jinsheng say coldly, "Move aside."

The scene instantly fell silent. The staff directly in front exchanged glances and, after a moment, actually made way, opening a small path.

Chen Jinsheng stepped forward and walked straight through.

Seeing him walk away, the staff looked somewhat embarrassed. Remembering He Mingshuang was still there, they hurried over to help her. A crowd gathered, offering greetings and apologies, creating a chaotic mess. He Mingshuang didn't hear a word, her mind elsewhere.

A staff member brought a towel. Seeing half of He Mingshuang's face covered in mud, they offered to wipe it. As soon as they touched her face, He Mingshuang raised her hand to block them.

"What are you doing?" He Mingshuang frowned, looking displeased.

She was usually gentle and easygoing. Her rare poor attitude now showed she was truly upset. The staff member apologized repeatedly. He Mingshuang rubbed her temples and sighed. "Forget it. It's fine."

She looked through the gaps in the crowd toward the edge of the mud pit. The director's team had set up a temporary step ladder. Chu Heng's assistant was climbing up it.

Chu Heng leaned down close to Chen Jinsheng's ear and whispered, "Where's your hat?"

Chen Jinsheng tilted his head slightly. "Stuffy."

There were indeed tiny beads of water on his forehead, unclear whether they were rain or sweat. Chu Heng had a pretty good idea of his own weight. A rare pang of conscience struck him, and he reached up to wipe the moisture from Chen Jinsheng's forehead.

Chen Jinsheng's steps faltered. His Adam's apple bobbed. Just as he was about to speak, the director and Wang Yelong hurried over.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? Charging in like that, do you think it's a game?" Wang Yelong's face was pale with fright. "And why didn't you say anything when the safety harness broke earlier? What's with the reckless heroics?!"

Chu Heng rubbed his nose and said nothing.

"I'm truly sorry, Teacher Chu. My staff made such a major oversight. I'll give them a good talking-to and guarantee this won't happen again. It's a good thing you're alright, otherwise I really wouldn't know how to make it up to you." The director looked sheepish and suddenly caught sight of the wound hidden under Chu Heng's jacket, exclaiming, "Teacher Chu, you're injured?! It looks quite serious. Should I call an ambulance for you?"

"No need."

Although unhappy with how the production team handled it, Chu Heng didn't want to escalate things. Once an ambulance was called, who knows what kind of stir it might cause online, making it even harder to handle.

"Just a scratch, it's fine."

The director was anxious to handle the matter privately and quickly said, "Alright, alright. I'll send the crew's medic over right away. Why don't you go rest in room 205 first, Teacher Chu? The medic will be right there."

Wang Yelong rolled his eyes. "It's raining. Hurry up."

The director, knowing he was in the wrong, just offered an awkward smile at the snub. Seeing He Mingshuang being carried up from behind, he jogged over to apologize.

Room 205 was in a small building nearby. Chu Heng had just taken off his waterproof pants and sat on the sofa when the medic arrived.

From bracing against the obstacle board, Chu Heng's forearm had been struck, leaving a large bruise. The center of the bruise was severely scraped, with mud still stuck to the wound. The doctor first cleaned the wound, then applied medicine and bandaged it, and gave him some anti-inflammatory pills.

"Keep the wound dry for the next few days, and avoid strenuous exercise. Take the anti-inflammatory medicine for three days, one pill after breakfast and dinner. It's nothing serious."

Wang Yelong asked anxiously from beside him, "Will it leave a scar?"

"The wound isn't deep. With proper care, it won't."

Wang Yelong was still worried. "What about the rest of him? Check him over more carefully. Could there be internal injuries?"

The doctor, packing his kit to go see He Mingshuang, replied, "That would require going to the hospital for an X-ray."

Hearing this, Wang Yelong went to call Old Ding to bring the car around.

Chu Heng stopped him. "It's not a big deal. Really no need to go to the hospital."

Wang Yelong looked unconvinced but gave in.

The doctor left with the medical kit. Chu Heng moved his tightly bandaged right forearm, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Wang Yelong said, "Don't fidget. You'll reopen the wound."

Chu Heng obediently placed his hand at his side. The dried mud on his face felt tight and uncomfortable. He looked around but didn't see a towel anywhere, and Chen Jinsheng was nowhere to be seen either.

Chu Heng had no choice but to pull out a tissue to wipe his face. The dry paper rubbing against the dry mud made his face even more uncomfortable. He simply put down the tissue and asked, "Chen—where is he?"

"He went out with the doctor just now," Wang Yelong said. "Seriously, who is he anyway? Always so mysterious, hiding his name and covering his appearance. The way he sprinted across the mud pit and manhandled that obstacle board didn't seem normal either. He's not some reclusive master you invited from somewhere, is he?"

If this had been said before, Chu Heng would most likely have joked back and brushed it off. But now, he just glanced at the black jacket draped over the sofa and said, "An old acquaintance."

"When the time is right later, I'll formally introduce you."

Wang Yelong seemed to want to say more but hesitated. Just as he was about to speak, Chen Jinsheng walked in carrying a paper bag.

He was now wearing a baseball cap. Chu Heng recognized it as the one kept in the car and casually remarked, "You went back to the car?"

Chen Jinsheng hummed in reply, sat down beside Chu Heng, took a thermos cup from the paper bag, unscrewed it, and handed it to him.

Chu Heng took a sip. It was hot.

The hot water drove the chill from his bones. Chu Heng drank a few more sips, his whole body relaxing.

With this relaxation, the soreness, numbness, fatigue, and the burning pain from the wound all surged up together. Chu Heng frowned slightly and said to Wang Yelong, "Go ask the director if we're still recording today. If not, we'll head back early."

This temporary rest room had nothing, even the sofa was uncomfortable.

"After this incident, if he dares to continue recording, whether this show can still invite somewhat notable guests in the future is another matter." Despite saying this, Wang Yelong still went out, considerately closing the door behind him.

Chu Heng patted his pocket. "Did you bring my phone over?"

Chen Jinsheng reached his long arm over Chu Heng, grabbed the jacket, took the phone from the pocket, and handed it to him.

Chu Heng took it, instinctively trying to unlock it with his fingerprint, only to find the phone had no password lock set at all. He paused, then flipped the phone over to look at it.

Chen Jinsheng's voice sounded simultaneously: "Your phone is in the car. Play with mine for now."

As he spoke, his hands kept moving. He took a towel from the paper bag and pressed it against Chu Heng's face.

The towel was warm and damp. Chu Heng leaned back to avoid it.

"Isn't the mud on your face uncomfortable?"

Only then did Chu Heng realize. He reached for the towel with his left hand. "I can do it myself."

Chen Jinsheng avoided his hand and, disregarding Chu Heng's resistance, began gently wiping his face.

Chu Heng felt the dried mud on his face gradually soften under the moist towel and then be wiped away with an extremely gentle touch. His Adam's apple bobbed. He tilted his head slightly but ultimately didn't refuse again. Instead, he lowered his head, opened a built-in game on the phone, randomly selected one, and started playing.

The towel lightly dabbed across his face. The snake in the game grew longer and longer under his control. Chu Heng seemed to concentrate all his attention on this garishly long snake, yet he could clearly feel the temperature of the towel gradually cooling and the warmth on the side of his face slowly rising, as if the heat was transferring from the towel to his skin.

Just before the towel turned completely cold, the depressed cushion beside him suddenly lost the weight pressing on it, bouncing back lightly. A blurry shadow flashed before his eyes. After a brief few seconds, the cushion on the other side sank. The towel was flipped over and pressed against his left cheek, moving slowly.

First the temple, then the cheek, the side of the nose, the jaw, behind the ear, the side of the neck...

Chu Heng's throat felt dry. He operated the snake with one hand, changing direction to swallow an egg.

"You... you're blocking my game."

After these words fell, the room fell silent for a few seconds. Chu Heng felt a gaze land on the back of his hand. Then, Chen Jinsheng moved a bit farther away and continued wiping his neck.

*Knock knock knock.*

A sudden knocking sound.

Chu Heng's finger twitched. The snake ate its own tail, and the game-over screen popped up.

An unknown staff member called from outside: "Teacher Chu, I brought you a bucket of hot water."

Chu Heng cleared his throat. "Got it, thanks. Just leave it by the door. I'll get it in a moment."

The staff member acknowledged, and the sound of footsteps faded away.

Chen Jinsheng got up to fetch it. Chu Heng glanced up, secretly peeking at his back, quickly opened the camera, switched to selfie mode, and took a look.

Thank goodness, his face wasn't red.

Along with the bucket of hot water, the staff member had also brought a plastic basin and another towel. Chen Jinsheng brought them all in, closed the door, and turned around.

Chu Heng swiftly exited the camera app.

Chen Jinsheng placed the items on the floor. He poured the water from the bucket into the plastic basin, soaked the towel, then walked to the sofa, knelt down in front of Chu Heng, grasped his ankle to lift his foot, and made a move to take off his sock.

Chu Heng almost leaped clear off the couch, but couldn't get away because his ankle was held tightly.

"What the hell?!"

He tried to yank his leg free, but Chen Jinsheng's grip was unexpectedly strong. Chu Heng couldn't move at all. Just as he was about to use his hands to pry it off, Chen Jinsheng gave him a calm, indifferent glance.

"Don't move."

Chu Heng was pinned in place by that look. He froze, letting Chen Jinsheng do as he pleased.

Chen Jinsheng's pants were also filthy with mud, hardly a clean spot on them, so he didn't rest Chu Heng's foot on his own leg. Instead, he cradled the sole in one hand while using the other to remove the sock. He then wiped the mud off Chu Heng's foot with a damp, warm towel. Muddy water slid down his foot, dripping onto Chen Jinsheng's pants and spreading into one dark stain after another.

Chu Heng's mind was in turmoil. It took him a long while to find his voice again.

"You don't have to go this far. When I asked you to be my assistant, this wasn't what I intended."

Chen Jinsheng ignored the question and said, "I heard what you said to Wang Yelong earlier."

Chu Heng was taken aback.

"It made me happy."

There was no one else in the room. Perhaps because he hadn't had time to remove them, Chen Jinsheng was still wearing his hat and face mask. He kept his head down, so Chu Heng couldn't see his expression as he said this.

Chu Heng glanced down at the black screen of the phone in his hand, his face blank. After a long pause, he finally managed to say stiffly, "I asked you to wear a mask and hat, and not to reveal your identity to others, not because... not because I mind these things. I was just afraid..."

Chu Heng trailed off here.

What was he afraid of?

He was afraid Chen Jinsheng would face gossip and rumors, and afraid of his own reputation being destroyed and his career ruined. Ultimately, it was still his own selfishness—acting under the guise of doing what was best for Chen Jinsheng, while actually forcing him into hiding.

With Chen Jinsheng's abilities, even with a criminal record, he might still be able to make a comeback.

By selfishly and stubbornly tying him to his side for his own desires, was he actually harming him again?

Was his self-righteous compensation truly rescuing Chen Jinsheng from hardship, or was it just to ease his own conscience, pushing Chen Jinsheng into another abyss?

Chu Heng's thoughts were a chaotic mess when he suddenly heard Chen Jinsheng say:

"I know."

Chu Heng murmured, "No... you don't know..."

"I do know." Chen Jinsheng interrupted him, tightening his fingers around the top of Chu Heng's foot. He looked up and said firmly, "Chu Heng, I know."

He lowered his head again, focusing intently and meticulously on wiping the mud from Chu Heng's foot.

In his over thirty years of life, even as a child, Chu Heng had never been treated like this. For two adults, this posture was undeniably intimate, carrying an indescribable and ambiguous meaning.

A strange warmth arose out of nowhere. Distracted, his finger accidentally tapped somewhere. From the corner of his eye, he saw the phone screen flash. Chu Heng looked down and realized he had unintentionally opened Chen Jinsheng's WeChat.

This account was one he had helped Chen Jinsheng register after returning from the "Blue Mane" film crew. To this day, his contact list still only had one person—Chu Heng.

Even so, Chen Jinsheng had pinned him to the top.

Chu Heng stared at the letter "a" before his own name and gave a slight, wry smile.

That approach was really old-fashioned.

"Chen Jinsheng, do you resent me?" Chu Heng suddenly asked.

"In these seven years, I never once visited you." He reached out and removed Chen Jinsheng's hat and mask, enunciating each word clearly, "While you were inside, did you resent me?"

The warm towel hovering over his instep cooled down. The sound of muddy water dripping became the only noise in the enclosed room. After a long while, a second voice finally broke the silence in the room.

"I did."