CH 142

Chapter 142: The Weak Willow Supports the Wind

TL/Note: “弱柳扶风” (Ruò liǔ fúfēng) is a metaphorical expression in Chinese that describes a situation where a weak or fragile individual or thing is able to provide support or assistance to a stronger force. It suggests that even though the willow tree may be weak and flexible, it is still able to withstand strong winds and provide support to the wind, which represents a powerful force. The phrase is often used to describe situations where a seemingly weaker or less significant person or thing is able to contribute to a larger goal or achieve success in the face of adversity.

When Zhou Mushi announced that Wang Jiexi was going to stay at home for a while, Zhou Qingwen’s expression showed some indescribable embarrassment.

He didn’t want to deny his son or prevent him from staying at home, but the suddenness of the situation left him unprepared.

Wang Jiexi has always been carefree, but seeing Zhou Qingwen in a flustered state and with an awkward expression made him feel somewhat uneasy, and even a little discouraged.

He always thought he could face Zhou Qingwen calmly, but when he actually arrived at Zhou’s house, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Zhou Mushi couldn’t stand to see his father acting so aloof, and showed no sign of affection towards Wang Jiexi.

He immediately pulled him aside and had the housekeeper clean the guest room next to his.

He only hoped that the warmth of the family would give Wang Jiexi hope to live on and increase his confidence in surviving. If he could still be treated, that would be the best. But even if there was no cure, he could at least die in happiness.

He had oversimplified the situation, as the Zhou family was not particularly warm, especially given the current complex circumstances.

At the time, Zhou Mushi didn’t think much about it. He settled Wang Jiexi down. Adult family life was very different from that of children. They hurriedly ate breakfast and went to work in the morning, and then had dinner and returned to their own rooms at night.

He often thought about how to understand Wang Jiexi’s current situation better, but he didn’t want to be too abrupt and risk driving him away.

Zhou Mushi was in a state of conflict every day, uncertain about how to broach the subject.

Wang Jiexi had two meals by his side every day, and seeing that Zhou Mushi had a healthy appetite, it does not seem that he is in a state of malnourishment.

He eats everything, and the diet seems to be well-balanced. From the surface, it appears that there is no problem with him.

However, gradually over the course of a few days, he discovered that it was all just a facade. It had only been a few days, but the person who used to eat well visibly lost weight, appearing even more frail.

This is not a good thing for him.

One day when it was cloudy and rainy, Zhou Mushi couldn’t stop coughing. The incessant coughing made his internal organs feel like they were about to be coughed up. He went to the hospital to see a doctor.

He was originally in relatively good health, but now he looks like a medicine bottle. He has been taking medicine for eight days out of ten, and his whole body appears to be well, but in reality, he has been severely depleted.

After a comprehensive examination, there doesn’t seem to be any major problems and the doctor couldn’t pinpoint what went wrong.

However, Zhou Mushi knew it deep down in his heart. Maybe he should see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.

Perhaps the Chinese medicine doctor would diagnose him with mental depression and stagnation of the five internal organs.

He had been trying his best to deal with Jin Yang’s sudden departure by pouring all his energy into other things, such as taking good care of Wang Jiexi, eating well, sleeping early, and going to work diligently. He was doing everything perfectly.

A formerly careless person had turned himself into a meticulous perfectionist, even spending time arranging the direction of the toothbrush and buying very white towels. He would spend a lot of time washing them after they got dirty.

Everything seemed to be proceeding in an orderly manner, and he appeared to be a good person.

But only he knew the extent of his own discomfort.

On countless nights when he took sleeping pills, he woke up crying in bed, and the feeling of staying awake all night made him very anxious. He wished he could immediately push open the window and jump out, but Zhou Mushi couldn’t do that. He could only endure it and persevere, thinking that as long as he worked hard, he would be able to get through it.

He constantly brainwashed himself mentally, but physically he became like Lin Daiyu1.

He didn’t like his current state at all, and he didn’t believe in phrases like “longing becomes a sickness” before, but reality constantly slapped him in the face, and it hurt.

When it was severe, he couldn’t help but cry when he saw a man on the street wearing clothes similar to those of Jin Yang.

Retreat to a corner, hold back one’s sorrowful emotions, wipe them away, dry one’s tears, and continue working.

Sometimes, work is also very annoying. Especially with the new director sent by Yucheng Group to cooperate with them. In Zhou Mushi’s eyes, the director is simply a fool. He cannot understand how someone like him could climb to such a high position, and wonders if he is simply bribing the company?

Is this new director really that bad?

Not necessarily. Although his level is slightly lower than Jin Yang’s, he is still a hardworking young person who shines brightly in his job position.

Zhou Mushi’s temper became inexplicably strange. He looked down on people, but he didn’t intentionally create trouble for anyone. However, at least during the cooperation, the new director from Yucheng Group never saw a good expression from Zhou Mushi.

He seemed to always be in a gloomy mood. The men in the Zhou family were originally gentle and refined. It was okay when they were usually bright and cheerful, but once they had that expression for too long, it made people think of them as despicable. It felt like you couldn’t offend this type of person, and if you did, they could do anything.

People with high IQs have plenty of ways to mess with someone, such as killing and dismembering them, smiling while stabbing someone with a knife, and then framing others right in front of their eyes.

Zhou Mushi didn’t realize the impression he had left on the cooperating party had already reached this point.

At the end of the cooperation, the director from Yucheng Group sent Zhou’s group off with trepidation, sweating profusely in the air-conditioned room.

Only then did he realize that the former director Jin who had worked with Zhou’s group was an absolutely outstanding talent.

Who could work long-term with the president of Zhou’s group? It would be frightening after a while. Although the man was handsome, the way he looked at him made him feel like he wanted to kill him on the spot.

Alas, he only hoped that the company’s future cooperation with Zhou’s group could be reduced, or someone else could be sent to cooperate with them. If he was sent again, he would rather quit, it was too scary!

In a relatively undeveloped small city, Jin Yang flipped through the calendar as he lived out the last days of his life.

The process of slowly walking towards death was not so difficult. Just gently and quietly face your future days.

When he was bored, he took out his phone and looked at the videos and photos he had taken of Zhou Mushi in advance.

It’s hard to imagine that he had secretly taken over a thousand photos and more than 80 videos of Zhou Mushi. These were his treasures, which could accompany him through the last period of his life.

He caressed the smiling face of the person in his phone and returned the same smile.

“May we meet again in the next life.”