Danger cleared

"Officer Lu, talk to me..." Yu Sheng's voice was soft and weak, as if she might fall asleep at any moment.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. "Do you know what time it is?"

Lu Chenyang's voice was a little hoarse, and there was a hint of impatience in it. But Yu Sheng's mind was already a blur, consumed by alcohol. The only thing that was clear was the fear of the unknown that was about to come, and the instinctive urge to gravitate towards safety.

"I don't know what time it is..." He frowned painfully, unsure whether it was the alcohol in his stomach or the thorn in his heart that was churning his nerves. He seemed to be barely clinging to life, and even his voice was starting to weaken. "...But...but I know, I can't sleep without hearing...without hearing your voice, and even if I do fall asleep, I'll have nightmares, so..." He took a difficult breath, "So, talk to me...anything you want to say..."

"What's wrong with you?" There was a distinct rustling sound on the other end of the phone, like someone getting out of bed. "Where are you? Did you drink too much?"

"...I did drink some." Yu Sheng seemed to have only heard the last question.

"I'm asking you where you are? Are you home? Is anyone with you?" The voice on the other end of the phone was noticeably louder.

"...I don't know." The stabbing pain in his chest seemed to ease a little. He rolled over, burying his head deep in the sofa, not forgetting to hold his phone face down. "I have no home...I can't go back, what should I do..."

Her soft, panting breaths were mixed with sobs that were almost completely filtered out by the receiver. Though not obvious, Lu Chenyang could still hear it clearly. This wasn't the first time Yu Sheng had shown weakness in front of him; he had seen her act cute and pitiful before, but this time seemed a little different.

That kind of voice couldn't be faked; that person was probably genuinely heartbroken. The murmured whispers continued through the receiver, like the babbling of a bewildered child, the last syllable trembling.

Lu Chenyang's knuckles tightened unconsciously as he gripped his phone. His Adam's apple bobbed, and the slight sob felt like a needle pricking his eardrum, then spreading along his nerves, making his heart itch.

"What... do you want to hear me say?" Lu Chenyang's voice softened, without him even realizing it.

The babbling on the other end of the phone stopped, and the silence stretched on for so long that Lu Chenyang thought Yu Sheng had fallen asleep.

"I want...I want you to tell me...that the danger is over, that I...am safe..."

“Okay.” Lu Chenyang responded softly, as if coaxing a sick child who wouldn’t fall asleep. “The danger is over. You are safe. No one will hurt you. Trust me.”

Lu Chenyang gripped his phone tightly, the receiver pressed against his ear, as if afraid of missing any sound.

After a long silence, a heavy sigh came from the receiver, and a suppressed sob was finally clearly audible. Through the phone, Lu Chenyang could almost see large tears falling onto the screen.

“I definitely won’t have nightmares tonight…” Yu Sheng’s voice was thick with nasal tone. “Because I’ll have police protecting me in my dreams, right… Officer Lu?”

“…Yes.” Lu Chenyang tried his best to soften his voice and coax, “So, tell me where you are now, okay? Let the police confirm your safety.”

Lu Chenyang listened carefully and guided Yu Sheng to explain clearly.

Sudden.

A male voice suddenly interrupted, instantly shattering the delicate balance that had just been established between the two ends of the phone call.

"Ah Sheng, where is your bathrobe? Can I borrow it? I'm not going back tonight, and I'm worried about you being alone."

After a long while, footsteps came through the receiver again, getting closer: "Hey? Ah Sheng, why are you asleep? Don't sleep here, get up, I'll help you to bed."

The rustling of fabric, Yu Sheng's indistinct mutterings, and the clear, loud male voice mingled together, like two images out of sync, abruptly catching on Lu Chenyang's auditory nerves.

"Ouch, my goodness, don't move around! If your hand injury reopens, I'll have to bandage it for you again... Fine, I'll carry you on my back... Holy crap! My phone fell..."

A dull thud, like a phone falling to the ground.

The screen went dark, and the call ended.

Lu Chenyang sat on the edge of the bed for a long time. Ever since that male voice came in, he had subconsciously held his breath and not said a word, as if the other party had not noticed his presence.

His temples were swollen and sore, and when he raised his hand to press them, a cold metal object touched his forehead. Looking down, he saw that he hadn't noticed the car keys were in his hand.

Was that faint sob he just heard real, or... did he mishear, just like the car key that inexplicably appeared in his hand?

A subtle feeling of exhaustion spread through him, and he shook his head. The heavy feeling in his heart just now felt light and empty, like smoke blown away by the wind.

Somewhat presumptuous, he tossed the car keys back onto the bedside table with a loud thud, which was particularly jarring in the quiet of the night.

It turns out he was safe and didn't need anything extra...

...

Some people have a good night's sleep, while others can't sleep at all.

This was the first time Lu Chenyang had been late in his two-year career, and he apologized the whole way from the moment he entered the film set to the dressing room.

He always avoids causing inconvenience to others. Not causing trouble for others and not letting others suffer because of himself are his principles and life beliefs.

But he treats others quite differently. As Yu Sheng said, an excessive sense of responsibility and justice has almost become Lu Chenyang's shackles.

For example, right now, he's leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, putting on makeup. Insomnia is severely affecting his mental state. He should be complaining about Yu Sheng, who, despite having someone to take care of him, still bothered him late at night and made him look like a joke.

But a seemingly insignificant detail, like a grain of sand stuck in a gear, kept grinding in his mind, impossible to shake off.

—Don't move around, or your hand injury will reopen and I'll have to bandage it for you again.

His hand is injured? How did he get injured? And he was still drinking?

He subconsciously took out his phone, the screen repeatedly lighting up and turning off at his fingertips. Should he ask?

The idea was stirring within me, but how could I ask it?

The numbers on the screen jumped silently as time passed, until the makeup artist's voice came, "Teacher Lu, it's done."

It's only 8:30 in the morning. He drank so much last night, he must not be awake yet. Besides, he has someone taking care of him.

But they were just strangers who met by chance, why should he care about Yu Sheng! Lu Chenyang abruptly cut off his thoughts, a wave of self-mockery washing over him. Besides, someone like Yu Sheng, who would deliberately pretend to be drunk and force a kiss on someone... wasn't worth his concern!

Time flew by as they immersed themselves in filming. During the lunch break, everyone gathered for a meal, the noisy chatter seemingly muffled by a frosted glass. Lu Chenyang silently ate his rice, his gaze lingering on the motionless phone beside him, his appetite gone.

At this moment, Wu Luoyu stood up, cleared her throat, and said, "We'll film two more scenes this afternoon, and our female lead will be wrapping up her scenes. So, I suggest that we all go out for dinner tonight after we finish filming, as a farewell party for our classmate Wu Tong."

"Come on, everyone! Everyone, come on! We've been working for months, let's relax together."

Wu Luoyu is a director, kind and tactful, never putting on airs, and has excellent interpersonal relationships. Everyone promised to go. Only Lu Chenyang ate in silence, poking at the potatoes in his bowl with his chopsticks, turning perfectly good potato chunks into mashed potatoes.

"Brother Chenyang, don't you like potatoes?" Wu Tong blinked his innocent big eyes at the pitiful potatoes in his bowl and asked curiously.

"Huh? No, I like to eat, but I just don't have an appetite." Lu Chenyang snapped out of his daze, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He had always maintained a brotherly and mentor-like image in front of Wu Tong, so being caught out like this was bound to be awkward.

"Tongtong," Lu Chenyang put down his chopsticks and finally said what he had been thinking about for a long time, "Director Wu said everyone should go to the farewell banquet tonight. Um... Yu Sheng isn't here. Should we call him and let him know?" As soon as he said it, he felt it was abrupt.

"Huh?" Wu Tong looked embarrassed. "Mr. Yu, they're just making a cameo appearance. They're not part of the crew. Do you think they'd be interested in our little gathering?"

Lu Chenyang said, "Whether he goes or not is his business. We are only responsible for informing him. Otherwise, with his temper, if he finds out we're not having him at the gathering, he might cause some trouble."

"Oh right!" the girl exclaimed suddenly. "Then you should call him right away, Brother Chenyang."

"Me, call him?" Lu Chenyang almost choked on his own saliva. He pointed at himself in surprise, opening and closing his mouth a few times before finally managing to squeeze out a sound, "No, it's not appropriate. This is your wrap party. It's only right for you to call him. Besides, I don't have his contact information."

The last lie made his nose itch, so he pretended to wipe his mouth, grabbed a tissue, and rubbed it vigorously several times.

“That’s right, I’ll call Mr. Yu.” The young woman thought Lu Chenyang’s words made a lot of sense, so she took out her phone and dialed the number.

The phone rang only twice before it was answered. Lu Chenyang remained seated, listening intently, but the noise from the other people made it impossible for him to hear a single word.

After exchanging only a few words, Wu Tong hung up the phone, saying, "He's not coming."

"Ah." Lu Chenyang wasn't surprised by the answer at all, and responded listlessly, but couldn't help asking again, "What...did he say?"

"It wasn't General Manager Yu who answered the phone, it was our General Manager Lan."

"President Lan? Lan Zhong from Xinghua Media?" Lu Chenyang asked. If he could answer Yu Sheng's call at this time, then it was Lan Zhong who stayed overnight to take care of Yu Sheng last night?!

"Yes, our CEO Lan said that CEO Yu drank too much last night and hasn't woken up yet. Also, CEO Yu seems to be sick. CEO Lan said she's taking him to the hospital this afternoon, so he definitely won't be able to come tonight."

"Sick? Didn't you hurt your hand?" Lu Chenyang was inexplicably irritated. "Are they very close?"

"It's more than good!" Wu Tong suddenly perked up when he heard this question, his eyes shining. He quickly swiped his phone screen and then handed it to Lu Chenyang. "Brother Chenyang, look, this is the CP super topic for President Yu and President Lan. Although there aren't many fans, it's really great to ship them!"

"They're super close, childhood friends, and literary soulmates. They're both incredibly handsome, and they're a perfect match standing together. I'm totally shipping them!"

Lu Chenyang stared at the phone screen that was being pushed towards him, his gaze falling on the candid moments and the fans' over-interpretations.

He didn't pay much attention to entertainment gossip, but he had heard rumors that Lan Zhong and Yu Sheng were a couple. He always thought it was nonsense; young girls just liked to put two good-looking people together when they had nothing better to do, and would say they were a couple just from a glance.

But he was directly involved in last night's phone call and heard it clearly. Lan Zhong's tone was genuine—concerned, distressed, and helpless. You could say he was a friend he treated wholeheartedly, or you could say…

Lu Chenyang's mind was in a mess, while Wu Tong was still chattering away, "...Brother Chenyang, you don't know yet, do you? Xinghua Media was co-founded by Qi Hanxing, the mother of CEO Yu, and Cen Hua, the mother of CEO Lan, two three-time Golden Horse Award-winning actresses, hence the name Xinghua. And CEO Yu even calls Cen Hua his godmother. What an amazing fate, a match made in heaven!"

Yes...they're a good match.

Lu Chenyang didn't go into the rest room all afternoon, throwing his phone into the car and shutting himself off from the world. The action scenes that afternoon were quite difficult, and Lu Chenyang felt like he was soaking in water under the scorching sun of over 30 degrees Celsius. He wasn't satisfied with any of the takes. The director yelled "Cut!" but he stubbornly insisted, "Let's do one more take, just to make sure it's perfect."

He punched, kicked to the side, rolled, and performed each movement to the extreme. Sweat blurred his vision and flowed saltily into his mouth. The soreness in his muscles and the scorching air seemed to pull him back to the training ground of the police academy.

Back then, things were so simple. The goal was clear, and there were no distractions. All we thought about was being faster and stronger, leaving criminals nowhere to hide. Unlike now… It's as if a crucial nerve in his brain has been severed, or rather, blocked by a sticky and unfamiliar emotion. His thoughts are mired in a chaotic swamp, and even breathing has become heavy and sluggish.

That evening, after a quick shower and a loose tracksuit, I followed Wu Luoyu to the restaurant where the party was being held.

He didn't like drinking, but out of a sense of responsibility as a mentor and friend to the younger generation, he still sat down next to the young girl.

Wu Tong ate happily. After a few months, he had become familiar with everyone and could chat with anyone. "Brother Chenyang, what's wrong? You seem preoccupied all day."

"Really? I just..."

Before she could finish speaking, Wu Luoyu stood up, waved, and said loudly, "Hey, Asheng, you're finally here! We were just waiting for you."

Yu Sheng? He's here?

Lu Chenyang looked up abruptly, his gaze drawn to a tall, slender figure. The person wore a simple white T-shirt, light gray trousers, and matching leather shoes, with their wolf-tail curls tied into a small, thumb-sized bun at the back of their head. Quite cute.

His gaze shifted downwards, as if to confirm something, and sure enough, his hand... his hand was wrapped in gauze.

He walked towards Lu Chenyang step by step, without glancing at anyone else along the way. His handsome eyes were slightly upturned at the corners, and the abrasions on his cheekbones were now just faint red marks, which, if not looked at casually, resembled the light redness after drinking.

Once the person was seated beside him, Lu Chenyang spoke before he thought, "Weren't you saying you weren't coming?"

"Hmm?" Yu Sheng was taken aback by his question, then her thin lips curled up slightly as she whispered in his ear, "I'm here to thank my police officer for protecting me in my dream last night."