Chapter 4: In the Rain
Qing Tian heard him ask such a question, and a surge of anger rose in her heart: “Don’t make assumptions about things you don’t understand!”
Ji Xiangyu did not expect his good intentions to be met with Qing Tian’s cold shoulder. After all, he was still a young man, how could he endure being treated like this by a woman? He glared at Qing Tian in annoyance, his lips twitching, unable to say a word. This woman was truly cold to the point of speechlessness.
He turned away in anger and left without hesitation.
Qing Tian stood in place, her eyes melancholically watching the direction Ji Xiangyu disappeared. She still couldn’t speak to him calmly. The moment she saw him, she wanted to run away. She didn’t want too much interaction with him, even though she had a crush on him for three years. There could be no outcome between them. If you don’t know that there’s no outcome, why choose to start?
The blood on her elbow had already congealed at some point. That pain was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. She tidied everything up, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, picked up her art supplies, and walked towards the bus stop.
As she reached the tree-lined path at the school gate, autumn rain began to fall. Qing Tian tilted her head up, watching the fine rain slide through the gaps in the leaves, then fall onto her head, shoulders, and the ground. The tiny water droplets turned into steam and evaporated the moment they touched the ground.
Wasn’t she the same? Like a tiny water droplet, as long as the time was right, she would be forgotten by everyone and then leave this world.
The raindrops grew heavier, but she had no intention of seeking shelter and kept walking. The sound of raindrops hitting the ground wasn’t mournful; instead, it had a crisp beauty.
Ji Xiangyu stood in the distance, watching Qing Tian walk in the rain, the dripping raindrops soaking her clothes.
So he walked to her side, raised his umbrella, and shared it with her.
Qing Tian noticed and turned around, looking up at the owner of the umbrella. A faint scent of jasmine entered her nostrils, very refreshing. This was Ji Xiangyu’s scent, pleasant and not cloying.
Qing Tian remembered what had just happened and said faintly, her tone a little hesitant, “It’s okay, the rain isn’t heavy, and we’re not going the same way!”
Ji Xiangyu, instead of getting angry and glaring like before, smiled and said, “It’s fine, at least we’re going the same way now!”
Qing Tian couldn’t say anything more, so they walked side by side, one on the left and one on the right. He held the umbrella, not daring to get too close. The small umbrella couldn’t accommodate two people, so she saw that half of his shoulder was wet. Suddenly, she felt a little embarrassed.
Her tone softened considerably as she said, “Let’s wait here. We’ll leave when the rain subsides!”
Ji Xiangyu didn’t refuse and silently followed her to a privet tree.
Qing Tian heard the sound of raindrops pattering on the umbrella, the sound of cars speeding by in the surrounding area, and most importantly, she could hear her own heart pounding. She wondered if he, like her, could sense all of this.
Ji Xiangyu reached out and plucked a leaf from a nearby branch. Because of his pull, rainwater splashed onto the umbrella, and a sound broke the silence between them.
He handed the leaf to Qing Tian and said, “Summer has passed without us realizing it, and autumn is coming. The season of falling leaves is inevitably sad!”
Qing Tian took the privet leaf and gently rubbed its texture with her thumb. She said at the opportune moment, “Autumn is for remembering the departed. Falling leaves carry the thoughts of the living to the earth. Once the season passes, the departed will know how much the living miss them!”
Qing Tian’s expression was as calm as water when she said this. Ji Xiangyu asked with some surprise, “I didn’t expect you to be so knowledgeable!”
Qing Tian released her hand, and the privet leaf was blown away by the wind.
Ji Xiangyu watched the leaves fluttering in the wind, and his heart fluttered with them. Qing Tian hid her feelings so deeply. Whenever he tried to probe deeper, she would stop him at the right moment.
That evening, under the privet tree at dusk, a man and a woman stood together, sharing an umbrella.
The girl tilted her head, watching the raindrops slide through the leaves, while the boy looked down at every flicker in the girl’s eyes.
Time seemed unwilling to disturb them. The rain fell for a long time without stopping, and they didn’t know how long they had been standing there.
All they remembered was that the scene that day was truly beautiful!
So much so that looking back in the future, it still felt warm and precious!
