Chapter 11

Weekend nights carried a unique kind of liveliness.

Initially, Meng Yuange had tried to drag Cheng Li along to a bar. Meng Yuange, with her naturally sociable personality, could get along with just about anyone.

Especially after becoming a financial journalist, she thrived in the industry like a fish in water.

Cheng Li, however, had only come out for dinner to unwind and declined the idea of going to a bar.

Particularly after what had happened the last time she went to one—just thinking about it still made her cringe with secondhand embarrassment.

After parting ways with Meng Yuange and getting into a car to head home, rain began to fall outside. At first, it was a light drizzle, but it quickly turned heavier.

Bored in the car, Cheng Li pulled out her phone and opened WeChat, her eyes landing on Rong Qi’s pinned profile picture.

She contemplated sending him a message to ask when he’d be back in Shanghai.

But then she thought about their relationship—not close enough to justify such a question.

After much deliberation, she decided instead to post on her Moments to leave an impression.

— “Date ended”

The accompanying photo was one of her and Meng Yuange taken at a cozy izakaya they’d visited that evening. The warm, amber-toned decor made the setting look inviting, and there was also a solo shot of Cheng Li flashing a peace sign.

Cheng Li rarely posted on Moments—sometimes going an entire month without a single update. Selfies were even more uncommon.

So when she shared this post, comments and likes came flooding in almost instantly, with many university classmates chiming in.

Yet, even as the taxi neared her home, she didn’t see Rong Qi’s profile picture among the reactions.

He probably wasn’t into browsing Moments.

After getting out of the car, Cheng Li realized the rain had gotten heavier—and she hadn’t brought an umbrella.

Left with no choice, she used her bag to shield her head and dashed toward home.

The midsummer rain was fierce, a torrential downpour that blanketed the world in a thick, watery veil. The streets were empty of pedestrians, and only the faint glow of streetlights illuminated the scene.

Raindrops pelted Cheng Li’s body. She had worn a silk blouse, which was now drenched and clinging to her skin. Even the outline of her undergarments showed through the wet fabric.

Though the situation was embarrassing, there was nothing she could do but hurry home.

“Cheng Li.”

Amid the dense rain, a voice suddenly called out.

Cheng Li instinctively looked back but saw no one.

She lowered her head and continued running.

“Cheng Li.”

The voice came again, this time from the direction of a nearby garden gate.

Two lamps at the gate cast a hazy yellow glow through the rain, accentuating the diagonal streaks of falling water.

A black umbrella appeared. Raindrops blossomed into tiny water flowers upon its surface.

As the umbrella tilted upward, it revealed part of Rong Qi’s face, materializing through the downpour as if from a dream.

Step by step, he walked toward her.

The scene around her seemed to slow, like a sequence from an old, sepia-toned film.

Before Cheng Li knew it, she was standing beneath the umbrella, shielded from the rain.

“Didn’t you hear me calling you?”

For some reason, Rong Qi’s voice didn’t sound as cold as she had imagined.

“Sorry,” she apologized softly. “I didn’t wear my glasses. My eyesight isn’t great.”

Cheng Li was nearsighted, but she didn’t usually wear glasses outside of work. She also disliked wearing contact lenses.

Rong Qi’s dark eyes studied her and let out a faint scoff. “Your eyesight really is bad.”

Cheng Li blinked. There was something odd about his tone.

Without another word, Rong Qi extended the umbrella handle toward her. “Take it.”

Cheng Li reached for it. The handle was warm, retaining the residual heat of his hand.

Her cold fingers clasped it lightly, and the warmth seeped into her fingertips.

Suddenly, their proximity narrowed as Rong Qi leaned in closer.

Cheng Li bit her lip slightly, resisting the instinct to step back.

In the next moment, she felt a warm weight settle over her—Rong Qi had draped his jacket over her shoulders.

“Does this bother you?” Rong Qi adjusted the sleeve and asked in a low voice.

“Huh?” Cheng Li looked up, puzzled.

Before she could process, Rong Qi pinched the edge of his sleeve and gently wiped the water droplets from her lashes.

“All clear now. Your eyesight should be better, right?”

His calm remark snapped Cheng Li out of her daze.

She muttered defensively, “I didn’t see you earlier because I wasn’t wearing my glasses.”

At her explanation, Rong Qi chuckled faintly again.

Cheng Li felt a bit guilty, knowing he had called out twice before she noticed him. She fell silent, no longer trying to explain herself.

The rain continued to pour unabated, growing heavier and shrouding the world in misty layers. Cars sped by, splashing water everywhere, leaving only blurred silhouettes in their wake.

Under the large umbrella, the two of them seemed to occupy their own little world, completely isolated from the rain and haze.

Rong Qi lowered his gaze and suddenly asked, “Can you see me now?”

For reasons unknown, though he was standing right in front of her, Cheng Li felt his voice resonate with a distant, echoing quality—softened by the pattering rain.

The question itself seemed strangely profound.

Without hesitation, Cheng Li replied, “Of course I can see you.”

Perhaps it was the tenderness of this midsummer rain, but Cheng Li’s usually dormant sense of sentimentality stirred to life.

“You’re right here in front of me.”

*

The sound of rain lingered in the air. After Cheng Li spoke, silence fell between them.

Standing so close under the umbrella, their breaths seemed to intertwine.

In this atmosphere, Cheng Li felt the urge to say something, but her mind went blank amidst her chaotic thoughts. She had never been someone who could navigate awkward situations effortlessly.

“Are you planning to stand here with me and get drenched in the rain?” Rong Qi’s voice broke through the drizzling wind, startling Cheng Li enough to make her look up at him.

His question jolted her to reality.

“Oh, right. Let’s head home quickly,” she replied, as if waking from a dream.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Rong Qi’s gaze locked with hers under the umbrella, and a subtle raise of his brow made her realize how ambiguous her statement sounded.

Cheng Li, use your brain before you speak! she scolded herself internally.

“What I meant was, since it’s raining so heavily, let’s both hurry back to our respective homes,” she quickly clarified.

If Rong Qi had merely been an ordinary high school classmate, her comment wouldn’t have mattered. But considering her current image in his eyes—a woman supposedly infatuated with him—he might assume she’d said it deliberately.

Stop. Stop overthinking.

Cheng Li forced herself to dismiss those thoughts and quickly noticed another issue: they only had one umbrella. If she took it to get home, Rong Qi would be left to walk in the rain. Though the garden villa wasn’t far, the downpour would surely soak him completely.

So she offered, “How about I walk you home first, and then you can lend me the umbrella to get back?”

This way, neither of them would have to get wet. Perfect solution.

Rong Qi studied her expression briefly and replied leisurely, “That won’t work.”

Cheng Li blinked. “??”

Then why did you stop me? To flaunt your umbrella in front of someone getting drenched?

Before her indignation could take root, she felt the weight of his jacket on her shoulders. It reminded her to rein in her emotions—after all, he had lent her his jacket. She couldn’t be ungrateful.

“Sorry, my house only has this one umbrella,” Rong Qi said slowly. “If I lend it to you, I won’t have one.”

Cheng Li nodded silently.

Fair enough. A valid, honest, and reasonable explanation.

“Alright then, I’ll just—” she began, ready to leave without pressing further.

“But I can walk you home,” Rong Qi interrupted before she could finish.

Cheng Li: “…”

Before she could argue, Rong Qi had already reached out and taken the umbrella from her.

“Let’s go.”

And just like that, Cheng Li found herself walking beside him under the umbrella, heading toward her home. The streetlights reflected off the puddles on the ground, with raindrops creating ripples that shattered the light’s reflection into fragments.

Neither of them spoke much on the way.

When they reached her apartment complex, Cheng Li said, “Turn left up ahead, and we’ll be at my building.”

“Got it,” Rong Qi replied, already heading in the indicated direction.

Standing at the building entrance, Cheng Li glanced upstairs. Etiquette dictated that she should invite him in for a drink since he had walked her home.

But before she could speak, Rong Qi beat her to it.

“It’s late. You should rest early.”

Cheng Li looked at him, amused. Was he preemptively stopping her from inviting him in?

“True, it’s quite late. If it weren’t, I’d ask you to come up for a bit,” she replied with a smile. Suddenly remembering the jacket draped over her shoulders, she pointed at it and said, “About this coat…”

“I’ll take it back later,” she suggested, hoping for his agreement. She intended to wash it before returning it to him, just like she had done with his slippers last time.

Rong Qi nodded in understanding, his tone calm as he remarked, “Perfect. You’ll have an excuse to meet me again.”

Cheng Li: “…”

Wait.

Why did that sound like he was implying she was deliberately finding excuses to see him?

Then again, as much as she wanted to deny it, wasn’t that the actual effect she hoped for?

Rong Qi wasn’t entirely wrong this time.

In the end, Cheng Li decided to roll with it. “Alright. I’ll wash it and return it to you next time.”

This time, she stayed where she was and watched as Rong Qi walked away. She only turned to enter her building after his figure disappeared into the curtain of rain.

When Cheng Li got home, she went into her room, removed the jacket, and noticed her clothes weren’t as soaked as she had expected. Even the sleeves, most vulnerable to rain, were dry.

She stared at the jacket for a long time, lost in thought.

*

“Why is it Monday again?” Cheng Li muttered groggily as she was woken up and shuffled into the living room, still half-asleep.

Mrs.Ling reminded her, “Move faster, or you’ll be late.”

Cheng Li glanced at the time, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door.

“Aren’t you eating breakfast?” Cheng Dingbo, seeing her rush, chased after her.

“No time,” Cheng Li replied.

He hurriedly handed her a box of milk. “Drink this on the way, at least. You can’t skip breakfast.”

She accepted the milk without protest and left the house.

On her way to the subway station, Cheng Li passed by the garden villa and noticed a Maybach parked at the gate. The driver, the same one who had picked her up that day, was waiting in the car, clearly waiting for Rong Qi.

Sure enough, Rong Qi emerged from the villa, his grandmother trailing behind him, seemingly trying to persuade him about something. He shook his head in response.

“Good morning,” Cheng Li greeted, pausing for a moment.

Rong Qi’s lips curved slightly. “Morning.”

Cheng Li hesitated briefly before asking politely, “Have you had breakfast yet?”

“Not yet.”

Rong Qi glanced at the milk carton in Cheng Li’s hand.

Cheng Li froze momentarily before extending the milk to him. “How can you skip breakfast in the morning? Here, take this. It’ll at least fill you up a bit.”

Before Rong Qi could refuse, she stuffed the milk into his hand, waved quickly, and dashed off—she was in a hurry to catch the subway.

Once inside the car, Rong Qi held the milk, staring at it for a long moment.

From the driver’s seat, the chauffeur spoke up, “Mr. Rong, was that Miss Cheng just now?”

The driver had picked Cheng Li up once before and remembered her clearly.

“Yes,” Rong Qi replied softly. He didn’t put the milk down and continued holding it.

“Miss Cheng seems to care about you,” the driver commented with a smile as he started the car.

Rong Qi rested his arm on the door, lifting his dark eyes slightly, the corner of his gaze rising subtly. “You noticed?”

Though the driver didn’t look back, he could sense Rong Qi’s good mood. He nodded along. “Of course.”

“She’s making it pretty obvious,” Rong Qi remarked, turning his attention to the car window. Seemingly amused by his own words, a faint smile tugged at his lips.

By noon, the milk carton still sat prominently on Rong Qi’s desk in his office.

A few subordinates who came in to speak with him couldn’t help but glance at it.

In their internet company, long work hours were the norm, and the company’s unlimited supply of coffee was a staple for most employees. Nearly everyone had an iced Americano in hand at all times.

Rong Qi had also been a coffee regular, so was he now embracing a healthier lifestyle?

The milk even prompted someone to look up the brand online.

It was a common supermarket product with an average price and fairly typical reviews.

Perhaps Mr. Rong just had a particular fondness for this brand of milk.