The Best Director

In a hotel room, Wang Yang sat cross-legged on the bed, listening to Jessica recounting his own words. He laughed amusedly, “Haha, really? Did I say that? Wild ducks? Well, the place would indeed be more beautiful with wild ducks…” Suddenly, he was overcome by a strong wave of nausea and, struggling to hold it in, he said, “Jessica, I feel a bit dizzy, oh, it’s nothing, it’s just that my head feels like it’s swelling nonstop, turning into an invincible big head… Haha, I need to rest, um, bye!”

As soon as he hung up, Wang Yang couldn’t help but retch. He took a deep breath, checked the thermometer under his armpit, and saw it was 40 degrees Celsius! He had a high fever, no wonder he felt so awful. He picked up his phone and dialed his family doctor. As soon as the call connected, he asked, “Hey, Andy, I have a fever, 40 degrees Celsius; runny nose, headache, and I feel like throwing up…”

“Yang, when did this start? What exactly happened?” Andy’s serious voice came through the phone. Wang Yang shook his head in amusement as he explained what happened that day. Andy exclaimed, “Good heavens,” and said, “Yang, I need to remind you, this is extremely dangerous behavior. Getting drunk and sleeping outside, right by the lake, can you imagine what would happen if you rolled into the lake? You’d be dead.”

Wang Yang replied with an embarrassed tone, “I know.” That’s why he told Jessica, “I woke up on the bed of the hotel,” but he couldn’t lie to his doctor. He asked, “Andy, what medicine should I take?”

“Go to the hospital immediately for a thorough blood test,” Andy said gravely. “You are likely just having a common fever and cold, and the vomiting is probably due to the alcohol; but it could also be due to other causes. You slept outside for a day, in Los Angeles? Oh, Toronto? We don’t know if there could be virus-carrying insects there. Although the probability is small, it could be as severe as acute encephalitis. Don’t trust the hotel’s doctor; go to a hospital.” Acute encephalitis!? Wang Yang frowned wordlessly. It couldn’t be that serious, could it? Of course, he wouldn’t gamble with his life. He nodded and replied, “Okay, I’m on my way.” After hanging up the phone, he grabbed a windbreaker and headed out to the nearby hospital.

As dusk approached, the buildings on both sides of the streets in downtown Toronto lit up. Wang Yang leaned back in the taxi seat, half-closing his eyes in a daze. It had been so long since he was last sick that he felt almost on the brink of death from the discomfort. Was this what they call accumulation? At that moment, his phone suddenly rang. He slowly took it out and answered in a weakvoice, “Hello.”

“Yang… Good evening, um, about the phone call the other day… I’m sorry.” Rachel’s voice came through the phone, her sigh carrying a tone of regret. “I was so rude. I… I’m an idiot,” she said.

Rachel? Wang Yang blinked, perking up and replied, “Rachel, it’s nothing, I didn’t mind it at all.” He shook his head, pressing his swollen temples, and explained, “Um, I mean I’m not angry. I’m the one who’s sorry, I didn’t realize that I caused you trouble. Rachel, I don’t know what to say… Achoo!”

“What’s wrong with him?” Rachel looked out into the night, a hint of confusion crossing her face, “His voice doesn’t sound like him at all, it’s lifeless, lacking his usual drive and energy.” Just then, her phone “Achoo” sounded, and Rachel instantly understood, her heart tightening as she blurted out, “Are you sick?” She heard him reply, “Hmm, just a minor cold.”

All of a sudden, she heard an unfamiliar male voice say, “We’ve arrived, Mount Sinai Hospital.”

Mount Sinai Hospital? Rachel was taken aback and asked, “Yang, are you in Toronto right now?” Wang Yang let out a chuckle from the other end, “No, I’m in Los Angeles.” Rachel fell silent for a moment, feeling a lump in her throat; she took a couple of steps and couldn’t help but say, “Yang, do you remember me telling you my mom is a nurse? She always wanted me to be a doctor; and Mount Sinai Hospital is a famous hospital here.”

Walking towards the hospital entrance, Wang Yang gave an awkward smile and said into the phone, “Did you hear that? Yes, I’m in Toronto, Rachel, I… Achoo!” He just didn’t want everyone to feel awkward. Rachel, concerned, asked from the other end, “Are you okay?” Wang Yang wiped his nose, trying to sound as relaxed as possible, “I’m fine, just a slight headache…Ouch! Oh, and a bit of nausea, it’s nothing serious.”

Sneezing is one thing, but headache, nausea, speaking with no strength, and going to the hospital, is that just a cold? Rachel frowned deeply, asking loudly, “What’s really going on with you?” Being yelled at made Wang Yang feel even dizzier, he staggered as he walked, saying, “I don’t know, I got drunk today, now I’ve got a bit of a fever… Rachel, can we leave it at that for now?” He didn’t have the energy to speak anymore; his entire world was spinning…

Rachel’s face grew more worried, feverish, drunk? At that moment, she faintly heard a coarse female voice, “Sir, be careful! Do you need help?” Then the phone started beeping, and Rachel, with furrowed brows, gripped the phone tightly, suddenly turned, and rushed outside.

ex-

Looking at Rachel, who was standing at the door of the hospital room wearing a blue sweater and jeans, Wang Yang, lying in the hospital bed, raised his left hand and greeted her with a smile, “Hey, Rachel. The doctor said it’s just a common fever and cold, I’ve told you there was no need for you to come all this way, I think my fever has already subsided.” Rachel looked at his right hand with an IV drip and an ice pack on his forehead, she smiled faintly, walked in without saying a word, and sat on the chair beside the bed.

Wang Yang glanced at her, her smiling face with two dimples showing, very sweet, he laughed and asked, “What are you smiling about?” Rachel shook her head, and with a smile, said, “The way you are now, from what I know of you, is the most bedraggled you’ve ever been.” Wang Yang laughed and said, “Congratulations then.” He looked at the bedside table featuring a thermos flask and an empty cup, “Can you pour me a cup of water?” Rachel got up, poured a cup of water, and brought it to his lips, saying, “Sorry, it’s not alcohol.”

“Oh, I’m thankful it’s not,” Wang Yang took a sip with his head tilted back. Rachel put the cup back on the table and looked at him with a smile, “So, can you tell me about your story today? Getting drunk and ending up in the hospital by yourself?” Remembering the events of the day, Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh, “I didn’t expect it to turn out this way, the bar owner was so hospitable…” He recounted the story, laughing as he said, “I was just throwing stones by the lake, what was my best—five skips? Or was it two? I can’t remember. And next thing I know, I woke up already lying in the motel bed, funny, huh?”

“Funny?” Rachel echoed with a question. Her smile vanished, her expression blank, her tone even as she said, “Yang, I’m sure your fever hasn’t broken yet, otherwise, you wouldn’t lie like this. Let me guess the truth? You fell asleep right there by the lake, you got soaked by the rain today, that’s why you got a fever, that’s why you’re here, am I right?”

Wang Yang was stunned for a moment, then looked her over and nodded, “Yes, you’re right. How did you know?” Rachel said indifferently, “Because when you tell a story, it’s like how you direct a play, you like to be very detailed, making it very clear for the listener. But from the time you left the lakeside to when you returned to the hotel, you wrapped it up in one sentence, which is completely inconsistent with your previous style. Moreover, if what you said is true, you wouldn’t have gotten a fever unless you’re allergic to alcohol, but you don’t have any rash.”

“Wow.” Wang Yang let out a soft exclamation, visions of her in “Sherlock Holmes” flashing before his eyes. He laughed, “You’re Irene Adler.”

Rachel shook her head, “I don’t have the ability to defeat Holmes, it’s just common sense. Another common sense thing, do you know?” She no longer suppressed her anger, her face flushed with fury as she spoke excitedly, “It’s not to wander around when you’re drunk, especially not to the lakeside! You almost lost your life, Yang, Miracle Yang, you nearly died! Do you know that!? What on earth are you doing? Do you want many people to cry over you? Your parents? Your friends? Your girlfriends? Your fans? And me? Crying like a little girl!?”

Do you want the newspaper headlines to read ‘Miracle Yang stumbles drunk, 20-year-old director drowns in lake,’ and then everyone says ‘Oh, that guy—if he hadn’t died, he could have made many great movies, he could have won the youngest Best Director at the Oscars… but he’s dead, what a pity.'” Rachel took a deep breath, her eyes glaring at the dumbstruck Wang Yang. She spread her hands and continued speaking rapidly, “What? You want to see all that? You’ll get it! As soon as you roll into the lake, become the wild duck you wish to be! You would have gone from a moth to a non-swimming, suicidal wild duck! Wang Yang, how can you not cherish yourself!?”

Wang Yang’s heart thudded erratically. If he had died today, his mom and dad, Jessica, his friends… He looked at Rachel, her eyebrows furrowed in anger, and her… He took a deep breath and said sincerely, “I’m sorry, Rachel, I didn’t know, I had no idea I was drunk at the time… It’s my fault, but it won’t happen again, I promise! I won’t turn into that wild duck.”

Rachel looked at him, still with a serious face. Wang Yang locked eyes with her for a moment, then suddenly grimaced, clutching his head and complained of pain, “Oh, my head, it’s going to explode…” Rachel rolled her eyes, annoyed, but couldn’t help laughing, whispered softly, “You deserve it!” Wang Yang also gave a small laugh, but then they both fell silent. After a while, Rachel finally spoke gently, “You promised, don’t do such foolish things again.” Seeing Wang Yang nod, she apologized, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that, you’re sick right now.”

“Ha!” Wang Yang glanced at the IV bag hanging high, chuckled, “It’s all right, I’m pretty sure my fever has gone down, just left with this runny nose.” Saying so, he sniffed.

“Did you find the filming location for ‘Juno’, today’s small town?” Rachel asked, and at the same time took out a tissue from her handbag to offer to him. Wang Yang took it and wiped his nose, replying, “It’s beautiful, but not suitable for ‘Juno’; the houses there are too sparse, and the trees are too short…”

“I know a place.” Rachel smiled slightly, describing, “The houses on the street are two stories high, and the trees are old, large ones. Every morning, the road is covered with fallen leaves and often enveloped in fog; there’s also a beautiful small high school nearby, just the kind you’re looking for.” Wang Yang became instantly excited, “Really? Frequent fogs? That’s exactly the kind of foggy scenes I need to shoot!” That was one of the reasons he chose Toronto, famous for its fogs. Rachel nodded, “It’s true; that’s the best place I know.”

Wang Yang blurted out, laughing, “You said you didn’t know, didn’t you?” Rachel was startled, then took a deep breath and said with an extended tone, “Wang Yang, what else do you expect from me?” Wang Yang closed his eyes, his face filled with pain, “Rachel, I think my fever hasn’t subsided.”

Rachel couldn’t help but smile, gazing at his trying-to-be-coy face. Her heart was racing, a resolute look crossing her eyes as she said, “Yang, I like you.” What… Damn it! Wang Yang abruptly opened his eyes, frowning as he looked at Rachel’s sweet face, not knowing what to say, “Rachel…” Rachel shrugged with a smile, saying, “It feels so much better to have said it, I like you! I should’ve said it sooner, director, you’ve captivated me.”

She raised her hand to stop Wang Yang from speaking, and smiled again, “I’m not saying this because I want something, or because I want you to do something. I just want to face myself, face my true feelings. I’m tired of running away and forcing myself to forget. It turns out that doesn’t suit me, you know? I’ve dated other guys, had dinner, watched movies, trying to find the feeling of being in love, but you would always pop up, calling me ‘Rachel,’ then ruin everything.” She sighed, “I always wondered, if I’d said ‘I like you? I love you?’ earlier, would we be together now? Instead of like this, where I can only be a backup.”

“Rachel.” Wang Yang removed the ice pack from his forehead, propped himself up, and looked at her seriously, “I’m sorry things turned out this way. We get along well, I enjoy it, but we’re just good friends. Jessica and I have a great relationship, I love her, and in the future, we’ll get married, have children, start a family…” Rachel suddenly asked, “Have you ever liked me?” Wang Yang was briefly startled, then immediately said, “It’s not possible between us, you don’t need that, don’t do this! I don’t want to lose your friendship, don’t do this!”

“I know, Yang, I don’t want anything to change; telling you this is just so I can learn how to be around you. We are good friends, aren’t we?” Rachel stood up, patted his shoulder, smiled and said, “Big director, you’ve ruined my life, I hate you! But thank you.” Then she turned and walked away, looked back with a smile at the door, “Goodnight!”

Watching her close the door, Wang Yang laid back on the bed with his eyes closed, good friend? Backup? Damn it! He had still hurt this girl. His head really was going to explode! Wang Yang shook his head self-mockingly, Rachel, I’m sorry.