Chapter 3: Rainy Day Encounter

The rain poured down in sheets, splashing against the courtyard pavement and flooding the drains with rushing water. Students huddled beneath the awning of the school building, waiting for the downpour to ease. Some had umbrellas, others called their parents, while a few groaned about being trapped.

Lin Qianyu stood at the entrance, clutching her bag to her chest. She hadn’t thought to bring an umbrella on her first day. She tilted her head, staring at the curtain of rain. Running for it would only leave her drenched.

“Qianyu!” a familiar voice called. Xia Yinyin rushed over, an umbrella already open in her hand. “Do you want to share?”

Qianyu smiled gratefully. “Thanks, but your house is the opposite direction, right?”

Yinyin hesitated. “Yeah, but…”

“It’s fine,” Qianyu insisted gently. “I’ll figure it out.”

Her friend gave her a worried look before disappearing into the rain with Guo Minghao. Soon, the crowd around her thinned, leaving only a few stragglers waiting for rides.

Qianyu sighed. She shifted her bag strap and wondered how long she’d be stuck here when movement caught her eye.

In the shadows near the stairwell, Chen Yuze leaned casually against the wall, an umbrella dangling loosely from his fingers. His posture was relaxed, but his expression was unreadable, eyes fixed on the rain outside.

He didn’t move. Didn’t offer. Just stood there.

Qianyu’s lips curved into a faint smile. “So you do have an umbrella.”

He flicked his gaze toward her, unimpressed. “And?”

“And you’re just going to let me stand here and drown?” she teased, stepping closer.

Yuze clicked his tongue. “Not my problem.”

Qianyu laughed softly, undeterred. “You’re really consistent, you know that? Cold on the outside, frozen on the inside.”

Something in his expression shifted barely noticeable. He pushed off the wall, umbrella still unopened. “If you’re going to talk this much, at least move.”

Before she could reply, he strode past her, into the rain. The umbrella snapped open above him with a clean pop, shielding him from the downpour.

Qianyu blinked, then hurried after him. “Hey! Wait!”

She dashed to his side, slipping beneath the umbrella’s edge. Raindrops still brushed her shoulder, but most of the storm stayed out.

Chen Yuze glanced at her from the corner of his eye, annoyance etched into his features. “I didn’t say you could follow me.”

“You didn’t say I couldn’t either,” she replied cheerfully, brushing rain from her bangs.

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t shove her away. The umbrella tilted just slightly, enough to cover her more fully.

They walked in silence, their footsteps splashing lightly through puddles. The streets shimmered under neon shop signs, and cars rushed past, spraying water into the gutters. The air smelled of wet asphalt and autumn leaves.

Qianyu tilted her head, studying him from the side. His hair stuck slightly to his forehead, his sharp profile outlined against the pale glow of the streetlights. He looked distant, almost melancholic, as if the rain mirrored something heavy inside him.

“Why do you always act like you don’t care about anything?” she asked softly.

His eyes narrowed. “Because I don’t.”

“I don’t believe that,” she said immediately. “If you truly didn’t care, you wouldn’t have let me under your umbrella.”

He didn’t answer. His silence was louder than words.

Qianyu smiled faintly, hugging her bag tighter. “See? You’re not as scary as everyone thinks.”

They reached a small intersection where the road split. Yuze stopped abruptly. “Which way?”

“Left,” Qianyu said.

Without another word, he handed her the umbrella.

Her eyes widened. “Wait—what about you?”

“I don’t need it.” His voice was calm, almost careless. He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned down the opposite street.

“But you’ll get soaked!” Qianyu protested, chasing after him a step.

He didn’t look back. “So what?”

Her mouth opened, then closed. She stood at the corner, watching him walk away into the storm, his figure gradually blurring into the rain. The umbrella in her hand felt heavier than it should have.

For the first time, she saw past his rudeness just a little. Beneath his coldness, there was something else. Something lonely.

Qianyu tightened her grip on the umbrella and whispered to herself, “Chen Yuze… you’re not as heartless as you pretend to be.”

The rain poured harder, but inside her chest, warmth bloomed.

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