Still Frame Chapter 50

He slept well and woke up the next day feeling a little sticky, but his head wasn’t dizzy, and his body didn’t seem to be running a high fever anymore. It seemed the fever had completely broken.

The person beside him was long gone. A note was stuck to the wall by the bed, written in Wen Jin’s handwriting: “Breakfast is in the kitchen. Take your medicine after you eat. Brother Tu and I are out working. We will be back at noon, twelve o’clock.”

Written in two lines, Zhang Liuxin read it four times before slowly pulling his glued gaze away. He carefully folded the note, avoiding the black ink, and tucked it into his pants pocket.

He had been caught in the rain and chilled yesterday, so even though his left leg hurt slightly with any effort, he was alone in the house, which was a relief. He dragged his inconvenient leg to find his exoskeleton. It had gotten quite muddy yesterday, and he needed to clean it thoroughly.

The exoskeleton was in the living room. Surprisingly, it was spotless, as if someone had cleaned it. Zhang Liuxin’s heart fluttered slightly. He picked it up, put it on, and stood up as he usually did, intending to go to the kitchen to see what there was to eat.

The moment he took a step, his body reacted. His knee tightened uncontrollably, and the floor made a faint scraping sound under his foot. A long-lost sense of imbalance struck him, and the world before his eyes shifted slightly but dramatically. Every step caused him to sway up and down. He froze in place, looking down to see the indicator light on the exoskeleton was off—the battery bar was empty.

It was as if ten thousand ants scurried over his limbs, finally drilling into his heart. Zhang Liuxin tried to lift his leg again. The soreness and swelling in his left leg felt terrifyingly real. He stopped, leaning against the wall, his fingertips clenched white. An empty sense of loss arrived belatedly, filling his throat.

He stood against the wall for a long time before slowly bending down to remove the exoskeleton. He didn’t place it carefully as before; instead, he tossed it aside like a pile of scrap metal.

After the car accident, his left common peroneal nerve was damaged, preventing him from lifting his toes. To avoid falling, he had to compensate by lifting his left leg as high as possible, looking ridiculous, like a string on a marionette being yanked hard.

According to medical principles, he should have lost a large portion of muscle sensation, meaning his leg shouldn’t feel much pain. However, due to psychological and neurological issues following the accident, he constantly felt a burning, aching pain. Even though the doctor’s test reports showed no physiological problems with his leg, the pain persisted.

This pain was alleviated when he wore the exoskeleton. This lightweight exoskeleton, an improvement on the ankle-foot orthosis, significantly improved his gait and prevented him from falling easily. With training, he could walk, and even jog, like a normal person.

Having grown accustomed to walking as he did before, during the brief periods when he took off the exoskeleton, Zhang Liuxin would try to shift his weight onto his right leg, dragging his left leg forward without moving it. This made him look like an unfortunate patient with a temporary sprained ankle.

But now, the exoskeleton was dead. During this unknown period of waiting for Duan Chengzhi to send someone, he had no reliance.

How long had it been since he tried to walk normally without the exoskeleton? Zhang Liuxin couldn’t remember—about seven years.

In truth, he had been receiving treatment for these seven years: electrotherapy, acupuncture, and regular rehabilitation training. But he preferred to wear the exoskeleton constantly rather than risk walking with a ridiculous gait in public, especially next to Wen Jin.

What should I do? Zhang Liuxin tried to take a step. He felt his left leg momentarily lose control. His knee instinctively pushed forward, and his calf extended and stepped out. His right foot lagged half a beat before catching up. The subtle imbalance created by this sequence stripped him of all security, so he quickly grabbed the nearby cabinet.

He hated himself a little, especially walking the distance from the living room to the kitchen. He found himself starting to sweat, feeling an unprecedented exhaustion.

Although he had long anticipated that this day might come, Zhang Liuxin admitted he couldn’t accept it well. Without the exoskeleton, he couldn’t even stand for long. He quickly felt stiff and fatigued.

He shouldn’t have been deceiving himself all this time. Zhang Liuxin recalled the posts he read in Yinzhou. Some said he was disabled and unworthy of standing next to Wen Jin; others said that since it wasn’t noticeable with the exoskeleton on, the Wen family had the capital to ensure he wore it for life.

At the time, through effort, he could walk naturally while wearing the exoskeleton, without swaying, and even phantom pain rarely struck. He attributed this to the exoskeleton. Therefore, he was often half-hearted during treatments and acupuncture, treating them merely as tasks to complete. Wen Jin usually accompanied him during acupuncture treatments so the media had something to photograph, but rehabilitation training was usually just him and the trainer alone in the rehabilitation room at Wenfei Terrace. Without Wen Jin watching, he admitted he had slackened off considerably. His common peroneal nerve had suffered a severe laceration, an almost permanent injury. No amount of rehabilitation would do more than make his walking motion slightly less exaggerated.

Now he regretted it. He shouldn’t have deceived himself, shouldn’t have knowingly erred.

Breakfast was porridge and two plates of pickles. Zhang Liuxin ate without tasting, mechanically stuffing food into his mouth. Only when the bowl of porridge was empty did he realize he hadn’t touched the pickles.

What should I do?

What should I do?

What should I do?

His brain refreshed these three words like a glitch.

For seven whole years, he had never been so troubled by the exoskeleton as he was now. In Yinzhou, he had several sets of exoskeletons dedicated to him, and Levi would rigorously ensure one was always on standby so he wouldn’t suddenly lose control in a public setting.

Zhang Liuxin washed the dishes, trying hard to recall the feeling of walking while wearing the exoskeleton. But after two steps, his toes dragged, causing him to trip. His knee slammed heavily onto the floor. The bruise from his fall in the shower had just begun to fade, and now he had a new patch of redness and swelling.

He sat down on the floor, his mind flashing through the words of his former rehabilitation therapist, who encouraged him to correct his mindset and trust that he could control his body. Lies.

He often spoke those words himself on the show, repeating them every time he comforted guests who were great in spirit but physically disabled. In reality, both he and the guests knew it was just a psychological victory.

It was difficult for him to reconcile with the physical sense of imbalance.

The note in his pocket slipped out halfway. Zhang Liuxin picked it up, remembering he hadn’t taken his medicine, so he got up again to take it.

Wen Jin and Tu Yier returned to the cabin exactly at noon. As they pushed the door open, they smelled food cooking.

“Chen, are you feeling better from your cold? You shouldn’t have a fever anymore, right?”

Tu Yier asked. Before he could get an answer, a shadow darted past him. He saw Wen Jin, who hadn’t said much all morning, quickly say, “Zhang Liuxin, go sit down and rest. I’ll finish the rest.”

Tu Yier didn’t understand what he was saying, but he could sense the urgency in his tone.

“It’s fine, it’s the last dish,” Zhang Liuxin pulled his wrist free, his feet rooted to the spot.

Wen Jin softened his tone and asked him again, “Did you take your medicine? Is there anywhere else you feel uncomfortable?”

They stood in a stalemate by the stove for a moment. Tu Yier heard Wen Jin ask another question, and this time, Zhang Liuxin’s expression changed dramatically, as if he had suffered a blow.

“Does your leg hurt?” Wen Jin’s gaze fell on his leg, then quickly retracted, as if worried that the fleeting glance might cause irreparable damage.

“I took it. I don’t feel uncomfortable anywhere,” Zhang Liuxin turned and smiled at Tu Yier. “Brother Tu, you worked hard this morning. Is your injury better?”

“Much better today, otherwise I wouldn’t have gone into the woods. I can finish the rest, Chen. You should go rest for a bit.”

Then Tu Yier saw Zhang Liuxin’s eyelashes tremble violently. He blinked rapidly a few times, then softly said, “Okay.”

Only when Zhang Liuxin slowly walked forward, leaning on the nearby table, did Tu Yier notice that he wasn’t wearing his exoskeleton. He remembered Wen Jin spending a long time wiping that exoskeleton this morning, finally sitting on the sofa in frustration.

The meal was quieter than usual. Zhang Liuxin coughed occasionally, and Wen Jin placed a cup of water by his hand.

“Thank you. What did you do this morning? Are you tired?”

“The same as yesterday, plant monitoring.”

After that exchange, they didn’t talk much more. Tu Yier felt they needed some space to converse, so after eating, he collected the dishes and took them to the kitchen. In his haste, he waved at Wen Jin and said, “Go check on Chen’s situation?”

Wen Jin seemed to understand the word “Chen” and nodded.

Wen Jin walked into the room. Zhang Liuxin was sitting on the bed, looking down distractedly, appearing somewhat dazed.

“The exoskeleton is dead.” Wen Jin didn’t sit beside him but crouched in front of him, looking up at him slightly.

Zhang Liuxin’s lowered eyes met his gaze. Wen Jin’s eyes were calm, watching him peacefully.

Receiving such a look from Wen Jin, Zhang Liuxin suddenly felt a little nauseous. His lips twitched unconsciously, and then he nodded.

“But it’s okay. Try walking slowly these two days,” Wen Jin gently placed one hand on his knee, touching the spot where he had just fallen. Zhang Liuxin recoiled in resistance, but then Wen Jin used his other hand to grip his waist, holding him still. “Do you remember what the rehabilitation therapist said?”

Zhang Liuxin felt mesmerized by him, staring into his deep black eyes, and slowly nodded.

Wen Jin smiled, the curve of his lips generous and beautiful, like melting snow. The hand gripping his waist moved upward, finally gently stroking his face. “Do you want to try standing up?”

Zhang Liuxin shook his head. His rationality returned. He didn’t think Wen Jin had ever seen him completely without the exoskeleton, nor had he seen his exaggerated, limping gait.

Wen Jin didn’t insist. The hand that had been resting on his cheek shifted slightly, his thumb sliding to the corner of Zhang Liuxin’s mouth, pressing inward slightly, sinking into the warm cavity.

Zhang Liuxin moved back, but the thumb sank deeper, pressing against his jaw. His words became muffled because of it. “Wen Jin… what are you doing?”

Even though Wen Jin was still crouching in front of him, Zhang Liuxin felt intensely pressured. An invasive aura emanated from him. Zhang Liuxin’s chest rose and fell dramatically, and he turned his head away uncomfortably.

Wen Jin stood up again. Now, Zhang Liuxin was looking up at him. The man who had just touched his face and lips was now towering over him.

“Wen Jin, I…” After the tenderness of last night, with the note still tucked in his pocket, as soon as Wen Jin showed signs of withdrawal, Zhang Liuxin instinctively tugged at his sleeve, murmuring his name.

“You don’t trust me,” Wen Jin said, his expression cold. “You don’t trust the rehabilitation therapist either.”

They stared at each other for a moment. Finally, Wen Jin was the first to look away, telling him, “I have to go into the mountains this afternoon. You’ll be alone in the house. You can’t rely only on your right leg to walk; it’s bad for your back. It’s best to move less and rest more. Be careful not to fall.”

Then he placed something next to Zhang Liuxin’s hand and opened the door to leave. Zhang Liuxin picked it up. It was a jar of ointment.

Hello everyone, bad Monday