Rainy Night
Zhou Jingxing was so excited he could barely speak, "You, how did you get here? What a surprise! I thought you... If you come to keep me company, what about your work?"
Chen Zhou smiled at him, "I've arranged all the work. I'm afraid if I don't come, the little dog will cry."
A puppy? Me?
Woof!
Zhou Jingxing wagged his tail and went forward to ask for a hug, but then he suddenly stopped the car. He realized that he was covered in mud and water and looked terrible.
This won't do! My fairly good looks are a powerful tool for seducing my wife. Last night she said she was attracted to my appearance, how can I appear in front of her looking so awful!
Zhou Jingxing took a step back, looking embarrassed, and said, "I've been working all afternoon and I'm a little dirty. Wait for me to go wash up first, I'll be right back!"
Shen Zhou stepped forward and hugged him without any hesitation, her soft words sounding like a coquettish plea, "Let's hug for a bit first, I've missed you quite a bit."
Wow, my wife is so good at this!
Zhou Jingxing knew that Chen Zhou was clean, so he didn't dare to touch Chen Zhou with his mud-covered hands. He rubbed his relatively clean cheek against Chen Zhou's, "Me too, I missed you so much. I'm so happy you could come."
Shen Zhou was a little shy from Zhou Jingxing's intimate actions, and his cheeks flushed slightly after he released Zhou Jingxing. Dai Shu, who was standing to the side, smiled and pretended not to have seen the two's intimate behavior, and only said, "Come on, I'll take you to the living area."
The living quarters Dai Shu mentioned were a factory building they rented from a fellow villager in a village near the construction site. The building wasn't far from the construction site, only a ten-minute walk away.
Zhou Jingxing entered the dormitory that Dai Shu had arranged for them. Inside, there was a bunk bed, the bedding already laid out, and it looked quite clean. There was also a table and a chair in the room, but nothing else.
Dai Shu explained, "The cafeteria is downstairs, and the restrooms and showers are at the end of the corridor. There are also some daily necessities; I'll bring them to you after you've eaten." He added apologetically, "The conditions here are tough, and you'll have to make do for a few more days."
Shen Zhou walked into the dormitory and put down his suitcase. He said to Dai Shu, "We're only staying for a few days, but Senior Brother Dai has been enduring these conditions for several years. Besides, this is already very good. There's nothing to feel wronged about."
Dai Shu felt comforted and said with a smile, "I'm used to being rough around the edges, I'm just afraid of making you feel uncomfortable. Hurry up and get ready, dinner will be served downstairs in a bit."
Here, meals are all cooked over a large stove, and the construction workers gather around the table, creating a lively and friendly atmosphere. Dai Shu briefed Zhou Jingxing on the progress of their construction site, while Chen Zhou sat quietly to the side listening.
"To be honest, your task is not easy either. I am really grateful that you stayed to help in this emergency."
Zhou Jingxing waved his hand, "Senior Brother Dai, there's no need for such formalities between us. By the way, I saw in the weather forecast that it might rain tonight. The tarpaulins at the construction site should be laid out by now, right?"
Dai Shu said, "I have already instructed them to cover the exploration site with a tarpaulin before they leave."
After dinner, Lao Huangniu Dai Shu went to draw and write his work log, while Zhou Chen and the other went back to their dormitory to rest.
As someone outside the field, this was the first time Shen Zhou had observed archaeological work up close. Curious, he asked Zhou Jingxing, "Didn't you study artifact restoration? How come you're involved in archaeology?"
Mentioning this, Zhou Jingxing was filled with bitterness. "Sigh, it's all because of Teacher Li. He demands that his students be all-rounders. His students all have to spend several months at archaeological sites, without exception, so we all know a little bit about everything."
Shen Zhou thought to himself, "No wonder." He then asked, "What did you mean by laying down a tarpaulin?"
"It might rain tonight, but some excavation squares have already revealed exposed remains. Leaving them submerged for a long time is definitely not an option. We usually backfill or cover them with waterproof tarpaulins to prevent rainwater erosion."
Shen Zhou had learned a lot. He asked some questions about archaeological knowledge. Zhou Jingxing, who had been busy all afternoon, soon looked tired. Seeing this, Shen Zhou suggested that they rest.
Zhou Jingxing took the initiative to climb to the upper bunk, leaving the relatively convenient lower bunk for Chen Zhou—he was also afraid that Chen Zhou would fall off if he slept on the upper bunk.
In the middle of the night, Chen Zhou was awakened by the rumbling thunder. Sure enough, it was pouring rain. Listening to the rain, Chen Zhou tried to fall back asleep. In his hazy state, he first saw lights come on outside the window, and then he heard Dai Shu's shocked and angry voice coming from the next dormitory.
"What! Didn't I tell you all that it might rain tonight and that we absolutely had to cover the tarpaulin up properly?!"
"Forgot? Of course he remembered to come home for dinner!"
"Alright, alright, now is not the time to shirk responsibility. I'll go to the construction site right away and see the situation before we talk about it."
Hearing the door next door open wide, Shen Zhou knew something must have happened. He got up, leaned over the top bunk, and shook Zhou Jingxing awake. "Jingxing! Wake up, something seems to have happened!"
Zhou Jingxing woke up with a start. "Hmm...what?" He sat up abruptly. "Chen Zhou, are you alright? What happened?"
Shen Zhou quickly replied, "It's from the construction site. Apparently, the tarpaulin covering the exploration area wasn't in place. Senior Brother Dai has already taken two people there."
Zhou Jingxing rolled out of bed and walked to the window. He glanced at the torrential rain and thought of the scattered exploration squares. His heart sank.
Senior Brother Dai only took two people with him? How can that be enough manpower?
Zhou Jingxing made a decision quickly. While putting on his raincoat and rubber boots, he said to Shen Zhou, "Shen Zhou, I have to go help my senior brother. You go to sleep first, and make sure to close the doors and windows properly."
Chen Zhou also took the raincoat and rain boots and put them on. His tone was firm and left no room for refusal, "I'll go with you."
Zhou Jingxing felt sorry for him and said urgently, "How can that be? It's raining so hard outside, you..."
Chen Zhou interrupted him, "Either take me with you, or I'll sneak off after you leave. You choose one."
"Sink the ship!"
Chen Zhou looked at Zhou Jingxing and said, "Let me go help. Otherwise, I won't feel at ease staying in the dormitory alone."
Zhou Jingxing had never been able to do anything with him. "Alright, then you'll come with me. You've never been to a construction site before and you're not familiar with the structure." He repeatedly reminded Chen Zhou, "The road is slippery in the rain, so be careful where you step!"
When Zhou Jingxing arrived at the construction site, he heard the rumbling sound of water pumps starting up, and knew that things must be bad. Sure enough, he saw Dai Shu checking the situation of each excavation pit one by one, and not far away there were some people frantically spreading tarpaulins.
Zhou Jingxing and Shen Zhou ran up to Dai Shu. Zhou Jingxing asked Dai Shu, "Senior brother, how is it? Is the water in there very badly?"
Dai Shu wiped the rain off her face and said in surprise, "Jingxing, Chenzhou, what are you doing here! The roads here are slippery and dangerous, you should go back quickly!"
"Senior brother, now is not the time for formalities. How is the situation now?" Zhou Jingxing asked anxiously.
Seeing his insistence, Dai Shu had no choice but to tell him, "I've looked at most of it. Currently, apart from one landslide over there that has caused a lot of water ingress, the other excavation areas should be fine as long as they are covered with tarpaulins."
Zhou Jingxing immediately said, "Then Shen Zhou and I will also go and help cover the tarpaulin."
Dai Shu looked grateful. "Thank you so much! I won't bother with formalities; I'll remember your kindness. Please be careful!"
Shen Zhou followed Zhou Jingxing as they covered each excavation site with a black waterproof tarpaulin. Walking on the crossbeams was indeed as slippery as Dai Shu had said; Shen Zhou nearly fell twice, but fortunately, Zhou Jingxing caught him each time.
After Dai Shu inspected all the excavation sites one by one, he called over a group of laborers to work, and the progress quickly accelerated.
The rain was getting heavier.
Shen Zhou and Zhou Jingxing arrived at the outermost excavation square. Shen Zhou stood on the east side to secure it, while Zhou Jingxing dragged the tarpaulin along the beam to the west, placing it as he went. He was thinking that once they finished this last excavation square, they could go back to the work shed to rest.
Suddenly, the tarpaulin in his hand slipped, and the sound of mud rolling down came from behind. He quickly turned around and saw that the side where Chenzhou was standing had collapsed!
Chen Zhou never expected that the ground beneath his feet would collapse without warning. He suddenly lost his balance, and his body leaned forward due to inertia, falling into the excavation square along with the broken mud.
"Shenzhou!" Zhou Jingxing hurriedly dropped the tarpaulin he was holding and jumped into the excavation area. He ran to Shenzhou and helped him up. "Are you alright? Did you twist your ankle? How's your arm? Can you move it?"
Shen Zhou tried to move his hands and feet. Apart from a little pain in his knee where he landed, he seemed to be fine elsewhere.
"I'm fine, don't worry." Chen Zhou frowned. "This place has collapsed, what do we do?"
Zhou Jingxing was relieved to see that Shen Zhou was not seriously injured. He looked down at the collapsed excavation wall and said, "It's alright. Let's cover it with the tarpaulin first. We'll decide whether to merge it with the adjacent area or expand it after the rain stops."
Zhou Jingxing asked Chen Zhou, "Does your knee still hurt?"
"Just a little bit, it's no big deal." Chen Zhou urged Zhou Jingxing, "Let's go upstairs and cover the other half of the tarpaulin."
Zhou Jingxing suddenly bent down and squatted slightly, wrapping one arm around Shen Zhou's knees and supporting his shoulders and back with the other. Before Shen Zhou could react, he had already picked him up.
Shen Zhou instinctively reached out and wrapped his arms around Zhou Jingxing's neck. Zhou Jingxing chuckled, and Shen Zhou felt his ears burning. He struggled for a moment, "What kind of behavior is this? Put me down!"
Zhou Jingxing remained unmoved, steadily carrying Chenzhou up the crossbeam, and placed him on a chair in the work shed. Seeing that no one was around, Zhou Jingxing bent down and kissed Chenzhou on the cheek. "I'll go finish up, I'll be back in a bit." He smiled, his eyes sparkling as if stars were twinkling within them. "Be a good boy and wait for me."
As Shen Zhou watched Zhou Jing walk away, he couldn't help but press his hand to his chest, as if this could suppress his wildly beating heart.
Thanks to their efforts that night, the construction site was spared any damage from the torrential rain. The rain continued until noon the next day, and once it stopped, the sun shone brightly. The autumn sun was still warm on the skin, and Zhou Jingxing regretted not bringing sunscreen while draining water from the excavation pit.
He was genuinely afraid of getting a tan and looking bad, which would make his wife dislike him.
He even needs to use his looks to keep his wife from going to find a mistress!
The intense work continued into the night, and by 9 p.m., all the excavation sites were finally cleared.
After Zhou Jingxing finished washing up, he was secretly delighted, thinking that he would finally have some time alone with Chen Zhou. He was extremely excited, wondering whether his wife would hold his hand first or kiss him on the lips first.
Let's get back together. Don't pity me just because I'm a delicate flower. Please don't let me go, my wife!
Zhou Jingxing meticulously styled his hair in front of the bathroom mirror, striving for a look that was both fresh and sexy. He pulled down the collar of his pajamas, revealing what he considered to be his well-defined collarbone.
Sure! Very cool!
My wife would probably fall for me too.
He opened the door and walked out confidently, but before he reached his and Shen Zhou's "love nest," Dai Shu called him back.
Dai Shu looked at Zhou Jingxing with anticipation and said, "Junior brother! I found the link to that movie that was recently released. Let's watch it together and relive the warm moments of watching movies together in our dorm during our student days!"
Zhou Jingxing knew things weren't going well. He forced a smile and refused, "But I..." Just then, Shen Zhou came out of the dormitory, and Dai Shu called out to him, "Shen Zhou, want to watch a movie together?"
Chen Zhou smiled and said, "Okay, what movie?"
"The Nightmare in the Wild has received many positive reviews! Everyone says it's high-energy throughout and gives you chills."
Zhou Jingxing: ...
Help! QAQ
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