The Byoukidere Is Her Sweetie

Chapter 122: 122: Wearing a Jiang Zhi shirt, punishing Luo Yinghe
 

“`

The water in this area is twenty meters deep, and a person who falls in disappears in an instant.

“Xu Fang!”

It was Jiang Zhi calling out.

After he called out and received no response, his next instinctual action was to jump in after her, purely a subconscious reaction without any thought.

Fortunately, Ah Wan, who was behind him, was quick-witted and caught hold of him, “Boss, what are you doing!”

But Jiang Zhi pushed him away and continued to move toward the edge of the water area.

It had been over a dozen seconds, already more than a dozen seconds, and Zhou Xufang still hadn’t resurfaced. She knew how to swim, but she hadn’t come up. A few more seconds passed, and the surface of the water gradually calmed down, still without a sign of her swimming up.

Could it be a cramp in her leg?

Could she be injured?

Could she have been entangled in some plant by her foot?

Jiang Zhi’s mind was filled with such assumptions, overwhelming him to the point where he couldn’t think clearly, and his feet moved before his brain did.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ƝᴑνǤο.сο

Ah Wan immediately grabbed hold of him, starting to panic as well, “Boss, you can’t go down.” He was sweating profusely and turned back to shout to those behind, “What are you waiting for, hurry up and rescue her!”

As soon as Ah Wan finished shouting, several male staff members immediately took off their shoes and entered the water.

One by one, seven or eight people went in, splashing water everywhere. Still, Jiang Zhi hadn’t snapped back to his senses and was determined to plunge into the water, body and soul.

He pried Ah Wan’s hands off, “Let go.”

Ah Wan wouldn’t let go, tightly holding onto one of his arms, “You can’t swim.” What’s the point in going down there! To die! Ah!!

Not only could he not swim, but he also had a fear of water.

Going down would mean going to his death!

“Lin Wanwan,” Jiang Zhi looked at the water, with raging waves in his eyes, but his face was ashen, he said, “Let go.”

Ah Wan dared not let go, for Jiang Zhi had already become completely rattled, and he couldn’t afford to be careless, “What do you intend to do by going down? Cause more trouble?” His voice was loud, attempting to howl some sense back into Jiang Zhi, “We only need to rescue Miss Zhou, but if you go down, we’ll have to expend energy to save you too.”

He took it in and stood still, his eyes constantly fixed on the water, and he declared emphatically, “Those who can swim get down there, as long as Zhou Xufang is safe and sound, I’ll reward you all generously.”

With the promise of a hefty reward, of course, there would be no shortage of brave volunteers, and many more people subsequently entered the water.

Jiang Zhi stood at the shore, breaking out in a cold sweat, his lips already pale from being pressed together, his ears ringing, his legs weak, his palms numb from being pinched.

His mind was blank, and he couldn’t think of anything.

It was as though a second lasted an eternity, exactly like that.

People who went into the water were emerging one after another, each looking worse for wear.

“Director Jiang, there’s nothing.”

“I didn’t see anyone.”

“I went to the deep water area, but there was no one.”

“It’s bizarre, she clearly fell from here, how could she just…”

One by one, they came up, each one saying they hadn’t seen Zhou Xufang.

No person.

No body.

Had she simply vanished from the face of the earth? Jiang Zhi’s voice was tense, “Continue searching.”

The Ah Wan holding onto him could clearly feel it; his whole body was shaking.

The temperature was too low; a thin layer of ice that had formed on the surface had been shattered into pieces. About twenty people had gone into the water, searching inch by inch near the spot where she had fallen, almost to the point of draining the water area in an upside-down search.

But five minutes had passed, and still, no person was found.

A normal person underwater not breathing for five minutes… even if they were brought up, the chances of survival would be slim.

The rescuers were all shaking their heads.

Suddenly, Jiang Zhi moved a step forward.

Ah Wan immediately clung to him, “Boss!” He clung to Jiang Zhi’s arm tightly, attempting to drag him away, but unable to move him, he became frantic, “What are you trying to do?”

“Go down and find Zhou Xufang.”

He said it calmly, as if stating something ordinary.

But to Ah Wan, he seemed to be in a trance, emotionless and thoughtless. Ah Wan felt like he was about to collapse and roared in desperation, “Have you lost your mind?”

He had.

Jiang Zhi looked at the water, his lip already bitten until blood dripped out, “Let go.”

Ah Wan didn’t let go, one hand gripping the arm, the other the waist, desperately pulling him backward, “Are you looking to die? Have you lost your will to live?”

“I have.” He commanded flatly, “Let go.”

This was no trance.

He was like a soul extracted and cursed by black magic.

Ah Wan’s face turned beet red, “I won’t let go!” If he let go, tomorrow’s headlines would read ‘Famed Director Jiang dies a romantic yet tragic death.’

Jiang Zhi was still so calm, his voice low, telling only Ah Wan, “Let me go down, if I find Zhou Xufang, bring me up with her, if not, don’t bother to rescue me.”

Ah Wan had been with Jiang Zhi for two years and knew he was not a man of impulse, even to the extent of being callous, indifferent, and rarely empathetic, with no hint of sympathy, mercy, or compassion.

This man who toyed with worldly affairs had finally stumbled.

And then everything collapsed like a landslide, for miles.

Ah Wan could predict that in the future, anyone who wanted to deal with Jiang Zhi just had to seize Zhou Xufang. As long as Zhou Xufang was caught, Jiang Zhi would be unable to scheme or plan; his mind would be gone, and he’d obediently hand over his life to you.

“`

Ah Wan now had to cling to this reckless and death-defying individual, “Don’t act rashly, calm down first, and then we can find another way.”

“Get out of the way!”

Jiang Zhi fiercely shoved Ah Wan away.

He fell on his butt on the ground, his hand just hitting the leg of a stool. Without time to think, he picked up the stool, charged forward, and smashed it with all his might.

Jiang Zhi’s body swayed, then he fell down.

Ah Wan was like someone just fished out of water, sitting on the ground, dripping with sweat and gasping for air.

The length of the water was not short, but its width was not wide. The crew on the opposite side couldn’t hear the noise, they could only vaguely see someone standing by the shore—a thoughtful Tang Xiang.

Before Zhou Xufang fell into the water, the direction of his gaze…

It was Luo Yinghe.

Jiang Zhi was knocked out, so it was up to Ah Wan to take control of the situation. He was as panicked and anxious as the next person, his legs trembling, but he had no choice but to steady himself, even if it meant pinching his thigh.

“Have you called 120?” Ah Wan asked the set coordinator.

The coordinator was also sweating profusely, and replied, “We’ve called.”

Ah Wan then summoned the assistant director, “Vice Director Zhao, go find more people, we must fish Zhou Xufang out.” His tone was sorrowful, almost crying, “We need to see the body even if he’s dead.”

“Okay.”

Vice Director Zhao immediately went to call for people.

Ah Wan held back the tears that were close to breaking through the dam, and with heavy sorrow, he addressed the searchers in the water, “Please, everyone, the person who fell is very important to my boss, please look very carefully.”

He couldn’t hold it back in the end, Ah Wan covered his face and wept.

Miss Zhou, how pitiful, she was only twenty-two, she had not yet married, hadn’t had children, oh, couldn’t have children—Jiang Zhi was infertile.

Ah Wan continued to grieve, she was only twenty-two, she hadn’t been to an amusement park, hadn’t seen welfare, and there were so many novels and TV shows she hadn’t watched…

Ah Wan managed not to cry out loud, but someone did cry out loud, wailing loudly.

It was Fang Lixiang, who had just returned from squatting in the toilet. She had only gone to squat for a while, and her close friend…

Fang Lixiang sat down by the water and began to cry, “Zhou Xufang, Zhou Xufang, where are you?” She was distraught, weeping bitterly, “Please come up.”

She had scenes to shoot soon, all made up with peach blossom eyes, but now she cried turning into a streaked flower cat, her eyeliner smeared, her eyeshadow ruined… she sobbed with trembling shoulders.

“Wuu wuu wuu… Zhou Xufang…”

“Don’t die, our Old Fang’s house owes you.”

“Xu Fang, Xu Fang!”

“Wuu wuu wuu…”

The cries and howls grew louder and louder.

When Fang Lixiang’s mother passed away, she hadn’t cried out this loudly because her mother had been sick for many years, and she had been prepared. Zhou Xufang was different, she had just gone to use the toilet…

“I’m never using the toilet again.”

“It’s all my fault… wuu wuu wuu… I should have taken you with me to the toilet…”

“My poor Xu Fang.”

“Wuu wuu wuu… pitiful, oh heavens…”

The crying and screaming were earthshaking.

It was so intense that Ah Wan even forgot his grief and hurriedly called over some people, “Get her out of here first,” to avoid disturbing others.

Two director’s assistants came over and dragged Fang Lixiang away; she reached out her hand, with tears streaming down her upturned face, in utter despair.

“Xu Fang, Zhou Xufang!”

She was pulled to the outskirts of the crowd.

But she still couldn’t stop crying, “Wuu wuu wuu… eh!”

Suddenly, she hiccupped.

It was because… with tears in her eyes, she suddenly saw a person, drenched from head to toe, with a covered face showing only a pair of eyes.

This person looked like a female ghost, like Zhou Xufang.

“Lixiang.”

The voice was also similar…

Fang Lixiang was still sitting on the ground, her voice hoarse from crying, “You you you you—” Her tongue must be burnt, she stuttered, “Are you Zhou Zhou Xufang?”

The person who resembled a female ghost replied, “I am.”

A background actor said that Zhou Xufang had fallen into the water and hadn’t been fished out for five minutes, he must be dead.

Another background actor agreed, “Gone, gone, the person is definitely gone.”

Fang Lixiang was a bit dizzy, thinking she might have cried herself silly, hallucinating. She shook her head forcefully, but the apparition remained.

“Are you a ghost?” Fang Lixiang rubbed her eyes, although they were good friends, she was still afraid of ghosts, “I’m seeing your ghost.”

Zhou Xufang pulled off the mask, her hair clinging to her face, dripping with water, chin dripping too. Since she wore a down jacket which had soaked up water, the hem was puffed up. She pushed the hair off her face, “I’m not a ghost, I’m a person.”

“It’s not that,” Fang Lixiang shook with a trembling finger, “weren’t you in the water?”

“I swam up from over there.”

Fang Lixiang’s legs pushed out, and she fainted.

Zhou Xufang: “…”

At this moment, two special actors were whispering to each other. Although they were quiet, Zhou Xufang could hear them.

“What’s wrong with Director Jiang? Why is he reacting so strongly?”

“Who knows? It’s just an extra that fell into the water, isn’t it? Director Jiang is acting like his wife died or something.”

“He must be in a panic. After all, it’s his film crew. If someone were to die, that would be big trouble.”

“Director Jiang himself is already one foot in the grave. I’m really afraid he won’t be able to catch his breath.”

“…”

Miss Zhou couldn’t make out the rest as she pushed through the crowd and rushed inside.

The place where she had fallen in was crowded with people. Ah Wan was at the forefront, wearing only a sweater, pacing back and forth. Each time someone emerged from the water, he immediately asked, “Did you find her?”

“No.”

Another person surfaced, shaking their head, “Still nothing; we’ve searched this whole area.”

Then another, also shaking their head: “How could there not even be a body?”

Ah Wan listened, feeling an icy chill in his heart. He wiped away a tear of sorrow: “Keep looking further upstream—”

Then, a familiar voice called out, “Ah Wan.”

Ah Wan turned around, and damn, he jumped in fright: “You, you, you, you—”

He stuttered for a long while, his tongue unable to untwist.

Miss Zhou knew he wanted to ask ‘are you a person or a ghost?’ and she answered, “I’m human.” Then, she urgently asked, “Where’s Jiang Zhi?”

Ah Wan stood there, dumbstruck, “In the rest tent.”

Miss Zhou said ‘thank you’ and then turned and ran towards the rest tent. She ran so fast that soon Ah Wan couldn’t see her anymore.

After being stunned for maybe a dozen seconds, Ah Wan told the brave souls in the water, “Come on up.”

The brave ones asked, “Aren’t we going to continue searching?”

“No need. She’s climbed up by herself…”

Because it was outdoors and cold, they were worried about the possibility of rain, so they had set up a few rest tents, crudely constructed. Only Jiang Zhi had a single room. By this time, everyone had gone to see what the commotion was about, and there were not many people around. Miss Zhou ran straight to Jiang Zhi’s tent.

Ah Wan, fearing that Director Jiang might do something rash, had locked the tent. Miss Zhou simply pulled with two fingers and the lock broke. She rushed in, anxious and flustered.

Jiang Zhi was lying on a lounge chair, motionless under a blanket.

“Jiang Zhi.”

Miss Zhou knelt beside him, gripping the armrest while calling out, “Jiang Zhi.”

He didn’t respond, and she was so worried she was about to cry. She gently touched his face: “Wake up, Jiang Zhi.”

Jiang Zhi still didn’t wake.

She didn’t dare to pinch his philtrum, afraid her hand strength might be too great and harm him. Instead, she decided to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Puckering her lips to move closer—

Jiang Zhi suddenly opened his eyes.

Their eyes met, and Miss Zhou was startled for a moment before becoming ecstatic, “You’re awake!”

Jiang Zhi lay there unmoved, his gaze initially vacant, then slowly burning. In the depths of his eyes, bits and pieces gathered, reflecting Miss Zhou’s face.

“Am I still alive?” His voice was low, a bit hoarse.

Miss Zhou nodded earnestly, splashing water onto Jiang Zhi’s face as she said, “Alive.”

One moment in heaven, the next in hell.

It was like a dream.

Jiang Zhi wasn’t quite sure if this was real, staring at Miss Zhou. He said, “Bite me.” Without waiting for Miss Zhou to react, he reached out, his palm pressing down on the back of her head, and with a push, her lips pressed against his.

Miss Zhou, thrown off balance, placed both hands on Jiang Zhi’s shoulders.

His lips rubbing against hers, he murmured, “Bite harder.”

She blinked and complied.

Jiang Zhi’s lip was already bitten before. Now it started bleeding again, a real, painful sensation; his nape also ached, probably bruised by Lin Wanwan. He let go and took a deep breath, “I’m not dreaming.”

Miss Zhou felt as if she was in a dream.

Jiang Zhi sat up and pushed her away, his complexion deathly pale: “Miss Zhou, are you trying to scare me to death!”

His tone was fierce, not the usual playful anger, but true anger.

Her eyes reddened, her nose twitched, “I’m sorry.”

Tears were about to fall. She was about to cry.

At such a sight, how could Jiang Zhi bear to scold her? The fierceness in his eyes wilted, “It’s my fault.” He awkwardly cupped her face, kissing her eyes, “I won’t scold you anymore, don’t cry.”

Miss Zhou fought to push the tears back. It wasn’t grievance she felt, but remorse, deep regret: “You did nothing wrong; it was all my fault.”

Her expression was one of ‘about to cry but desperately holding back.’

Jiang Zhi didn’t care about her being soaking wet and cradled her damp head into his chest, “You nearly scared me to death. You don’t comfort me, instead, I have to comfort you.” He poked her forehead, “If you cry again, I won’t comfort you.”

Miss Zhou, not wanting to get Jiang Zhi wet, pulled back, “I’m not crying.” She scared him, so she needed to comfort him, saying, “I won’t die so easily. I’m a Fairy who descended to face tribulations, with my seal broken, my Mana is boundless.”

She could breathe underwater.

But in the water, her eyes were blood-red.

She didn’t dare to come up, so the moment she fell in, she dived deeper and kept swimming. The water wasn’t wide, but it was long enough. She swam to the very end, far away. While unobserved, she found a spot out of sight, daring there to climb out. Once her eyes were no longer red, she ran to see him.

She still scared him.

It was all her fault.

She was filled with regret: “I’m sorry, Jiang Zhi. Next time, I’ll climb up to see you much faster.” Even if it meant gouging out her eyes, she wouldn’t let him wait again.

His health wasn’t good either, and if he didn’t come up for air…

Zhou Xufang dared not think about it.

“How did you come up?” Jiang Zhi asked.

She honestly replied, “I swam up from the east side of the water.”

No wonder! She had fallen in from the south but ended up swimming to the east. Although the width of this body of water was only about ten meters, its length spanned several hundred meters.

The people who went down to dive for her hadn’t swum that far to retrieve her.

And she swam quickly!

She said, “I’m a very good swimmer.”

Jiang Zhi knew she was good in the water, as she had been the one to pull him out of the sea last time, but he hadn’t seen her emerge after she fell, so regardless of her swimming skills, he feared the worst. When he feared something, his mind would race with the most negative, pessimistic assumptions.

“Xu Fang.”

“Mm.”

He hadn’t realized before just how tender and vulnerable he was; if she were gone, he might truly have followed her in death.

What a spineless wimp!

He admitted with resignation, “I don’t want to die yet, so you need to live a long, healthy life, got it?”

Zhou Xufang didn’t quite grasp the gravity of his words, but obediently promised, “Okay.”

“Your clothes are still wet.” He touched her face with the back of his hand; it was as cold as ice.

“I’m not cold,” Zhou Xufang said. “I have a low body temperature and don’t mind the cold at all.”

Cold or not, she was still flesh and blood.

She really thought she was made of steel.

Jiang Zhi pushed her away, refusing to hug her anymore: “You’re too icy, I’m cold just holding you.”

That made sense.

Zhou Xufang twisted the water out of her sleeves, but they were so wet they might freeze; she didn’t know what to do: “But I don’t have any clothes to change into.”

Jiang Zhi got up, lifted the blanket, and found a spare shirt, the only one, left there by Lin Wanwan: “This is all I have, put it on, get under the blankets, and I’ll have someone send some clothes over for you.”

Zhou Xufang hesitated for a few seconds, took it, and then looked around the rest area that was open to view… not even a place to hide.

She felt a bit awkward: “Turn around.”

Jiang Zhi said sure with a laugh and turned his back.

Holding the shirt, she hid behind the deck chair, peeped out, and seriously told him, “You can’t turn around.”

Amused, Jiang Zhi raised his hand to cover his eyes: “I won’t look. Hurry up and change.”

“Oh.”

Zhou Xufang crouched, quickly peeled off her wet clothes while glancing around, and hurried into the shirt. After she changed, her shoes and socks also came off.

After changing, she glanced at Jiang Zhi and sneaked her underwear inside her wet clothes before stuffing them all into a plastic bag.

Now wearing only a shirt, which felt empty, Zhou Xufang had never worn so little before—it made her feel insecure. She quickly crawled under Jiang Zhi’s blanket, curled up into a ball on the deck chair.

“Jiang Zhi, I’m done.”

He took his hand away from his eyes, turned around, and his gaze involuntarily swept over the wet clothes on the ground and the curled-up figure on the deck chair, then he awkwardly averted his eyes.

Zhou Xufang noticed: “Your face is red.”

Jiang Zhi walked over, sat down near her feet: “Yeah, you did that.” He took some tissues, pressed them against the tips of her dripping hair, gently wiping them, and said, “Fang Bao, remember, most men are beasts, they can strip a person’s clothes off with their minds, without using their hands or eyes.”

“…” Now it was Zhou Xufang’s turn to blush.

Jiang Zhi fastened the top button of her shirt, took off his jacket, and covered her from head to toe, leaving her completely ensconced: “Who knocked you into the water?”

He was ready to settle the score.

Zhou Xufang recalled the situation objectively: “It’s not that person’s fault; I was distracted. He called me several times, but I didn’t respond and was watching someone else.”

He wouldn’t let the matter rest there.

“Watching who?”

“Luo Yinghe.” Zhou Xufang frowned, “She was whipping her assistant with a rose.” She hated it when people used roses to hit others; she didn’t know why before, but this time, seeing Luo Yinghe’s ‘viciousness,’ she started to remember. She guessed she might have been whipped before as well and had a traumatic memory of it.

These suspicions Zhou Xufang wasn’t certain about, so she didn’t tell Jiang Zhi.

Jiang Zhi didn’t ask further, his peach blossom eyes icy as if they could freeze three feet of ice.

At that moment, someone outside was calling out with a sobbing voice: “Xu Fang.”

“Xu Fang.”

It was Fang Lixiang.

Zhou Xufang pushed Jiang Zhi away: “Lixiang, I’m here.”

Standing up, Jiang Zhi wrapped her up tightly in the blanket and clothes.

Fang Lixiang’s sobbing voice arrived before she did: “Wuuuu… Xu Fang… Wuu…” She rushed in, embraced Zhou Xufang tightly, her makeup smeared by tears and snot, “I thought I’d be eternally separated from you, that would be too tragic, unfinished love between humans and ghosts… Eh!”

She belched.

She continued sorrowfully: “Humans and ghosts… unfinished affairs… Wuuuu…”

Her emotions peaked, and what followed was textbook-style crying—

“Lixiang, don’t cry,” Zhou Xufang pushed her away slightly, “Don’t smear your snot on Jiang Zhi’s blanket, he’s a germaphobe.”

Suddenly unable to cry any longer, Fang Lixiang said, “…”