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The next morning, the sky was overcast with thick clouds, and a light rain was falling.
Zhuang Zi’ang woke up early, listening to the spring rain tapping against the window, a sense of worry creeping in for Xiao Yudie.
Although he was eager to see her, he still decided to send her a message.
“The weather isn’t great today; maybe you shouldn’t come.”
This time, Xiao Yudie replied quickly.
“No matter the wind or rain, I want to see you.”
Zhuang Zi’ang stared at the message on the screen, feeling as if his heart had been struck by something powerful.
To have a girl willing to brave the elements and traverse mountains to see him was such a profound happiness.
Even though the sun wasn’t shining today, as long as she came, it would feel like sunshine.
Just after nine o’clock, there was a knock on the door.
Zhuang Zi’ang hurried to open it, and there stood Su Yudie.
Due to the rain, the weather was a bit chilly, but she still wore that thin white shirt.
To be precise, in the half month since they had met, he had never seen her wear anything else.
Perhaps she had many identical shirts!
Xiao Yudie’s bangs were damp from the rain, adding a touch of fragility to her appearance.
She held a flowery umbrella in her hand, the tag still attached, indicating she must have bought it after getting off the bus.
Zhuang Zi’ang quickly pulled her inside. “Why are you wearing so little in this cold weather?”
Su Yudie pouted, “It wasn’t raining when I left!”
Zhuang Zi’ang fetched a dry towel and helped wipe the rain off her hair.
He then found one of his jackets and draped it over her shoulders.
The jacket was a bit big, making her appear even more petite and delicate, like a fragile flower.
Su Yudie carefully took out a thermos from her backpack and placed it in front of Zhuang Zi’ang. Inside was the tofu pudding she had meticulously prepared.
“I worked on this for a long time. If it doesn’t taste good, you still have to say it’s delicious!”
As he opened the lid, steam rose up.
The tofu pudding was soft and white, topped with various condiments that looked very appetizing.
Zhuang Zi’ang caught a whiff of the aroma, and his fingers tingled with anticipation.
He picked up a spoon, scooped out a spoonful, blew on it gently, and held it to Xiao Yudie’s lips. “The first bite is for you.”
Siao Yudie obediently opened her mouth, her eyes turning into crescent moons.
“Mmm, it’s really delicious! I’m such a little genius.”
Hearing her self-praise, Zhuang Zi’ang couldn’t wait and took a spoonful for himself.
The tofu pudding was smooth and silky, a familiar flavor blooming on his tongue.
He was surprised and let out a sound of astonishment, “Eh?”
“Is it hard to get used to?” Su Yudie asked, disappointment evident in her voice.
“No,” Zhuang Zi’ang shook his head. “Do you remember when I texted you about trying an incredibly delicious tofu pudding?”
Su Yudie nodded, “I remember! What about it?”
“Your tofu pudding tastes exactly like the one the old lady made,” Zhuang Zi’ang said in disbelief.
Upon hearing this, Su Yudie’s smile suddenly froze, and she stared at him blankly.
Her beautiful eyes gradually lost their sparkle, becoming hollow.
Last time at the restaurant, Zhuang Zi’ang had been advised by Zhang Banxian to help the old lady with her business.
The chili oil in that tofu pudding had a uniquely strong aroma that was hard to forget after tasting it once.
He had originally wanted to take Xiao Yudie to try it, but unexpectedly, she could make it herself.
“What’s wrong?” Zhuang Zi’ang waved a hand in front of Su Yudie.
“What did that old lady look like?” Su Yudie’s voice trembled.
“I heard she’s an elderly woman living alone, with no family—white hair and a face full of wrinkles,” Zhuang Zi’ang sighed. “Her eyes were cloudy, as if she had little hope for life; it was heart-wrenching to see…”
Before he could finish, Su Yudie suddenly burst into tears.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, falling like pearls.
“Xiao Yudie, what’s wrong? Who is that old lady?” Zhuang Zi’ang asked in a panic.
“It’s all my fault! It’s all my fault! I’m so sorry for her…”
Xiao Yudie didn’t answer, and her sobs grew louder, filled with heart-wrenching despair.
Zhuang Zi’ang felt completely at a loss, filled with confusion.
Who was that old lady?
Seeing Xiao Yudie cry so heartbreakingly, he could vaguely guess that she must be her grandmother.
But yesterday, Xiao Yudie had mentioned that her grandmother hardly had any gray hair, few wrinkles, and her eyes were particularly bright.
Could such contrasting appearances belong to the same person?
Previously, by the riverside, Xiao Yudie had also said that she didn’t know any old lady who sold tofu pudding.
But now he realized that the flavors of their tofu puddings were exactly the same.
Zhang Banxian’s words suddenly echoed in Zhuang Zi’ang’s mind.
“When you know the truth, I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle it!”
At the time, he thought the old man was just talking nonsense, but now he felt there must be something he hadn’t understood.
Zhuang Zi’ang’s mind was in chaos; he couldn’t think too much about it.
He grabbed a tissue and helped wipe away Xiao Yudie’s tears.
Suddenly, Xiao Yudie jumped up from her chair, her voice choked with sobs, “I have to go find her!”
After saying that, she hurriedly yanked the door open and dashed outside.
Zhuang Zi’ang quickly followed, seeing Xiao Yudie rush down the stairs without even grabbing her umbrella, plunging into the curtain of rain.
His heart ached for her as he grabbed the flowery umbrella and hurried after her.
Once outside the community, the rain poured down heavier, blurring his vision.
Where could Xiao Yudie have gone?
The street was almost deserted, with only cars passing by.
A vehicle sped past, splashing water onto Zhuang Zi’ang, soaking him completely.
A chilling cold spread throughout his body.
He took out his phone and dialed Xiao Yudie’s number, but all he could hear was the ringing tone—no one answered.
A taxi slowed down by the roadside.
Zhuang Zi’ang quickly waved it down, “Driver, to the Xiaoyao Palace.”
As he rode, his mind was a whirlwind, desperately trying to rationalize the situation.
Was Xiao Yudie’s description of her grandmother deliberately embellished?
Why would an old lady say she had no family when she clearly had a granddaughter?
Already suffering from his illness, combined with the cold rain, Zhuang Zi’ang felt a splitting headache coming on.
He didn’t dare to think any further.
Since it was a rainy day, there were no tourists at Xiaoyao Palace, and the entrance was desolate.
The old lady selling snacks wouldn’t be out either.
Zhuang Zi’ang searched outside the temple for a long time, finally spotting a delicate figure under a Bodhi tree.
Xiao Yudie was soaked through, crouching on the ground with her arms wrapped around her knees, trembling.
Zhuang Zi’ang rushed over and gently hugged her shoulders, “Let’s go back; you’ll catch a cold.”
Xiao Yudie clung to Zhuang Zi’ang, burying her face in his chest as she cried, “I can’t find her! I can’t find her…”
Her voice was filled with anguish, breaking his heart.
“Let’s go back first. After the rain stops, I’ll help you look for her.”
Zhuang Zi’ang lifted Xiao Yudie into his arms.
Water dripped from her soaked dress as he carried her.