Chapter 32 p2: Heavy Rain. “Take off your clothes, wear mine.”
What had just happened was like a dream, and also like it was real.
Cheng Yang’s mind was in a state of chaos. She could no longer distinguish between reality and dream.
Her eyes widened, and she stared straight at the Xu Xun who was holding her, her lips trembling.
“Xu…”
“Xu Xun.”
The moment she called out, she found that her voice was so hoarse it was unrecognizable.
Cheng Yang blurted out Xu Xun’s name.
Xu Xun had gone to bed late at night, so she was sleeping more soundly during the day.
She didn’t hear Cheng Yang’s cry. The other’s voice was too small.
Cheng Yang touched her eyes, and her fingertips touched hot tears.
She bit her lower lip, wanting to say something.
But her mind was still a blank slate. Even if she forced herself, she couldn’t remember anything.
Cheng Yang didn’t know why she was crying. Her memory had many gaps, and many scenes were both familiar and strange.
After wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Cheng Yang slowly closed her eyes and pretended to be nonchalant as she continued to snuggle in the other’s embrace.
She seemed to have remembered something, but it wasn’t recent.
It was like she had had a dream, and also like it was real.
Cheng Yang wiped her tears again and forced herself to calm down.
The memory that had just suddenly entered her mind seemed to be related to Xu Xun.
It was a long time ago, so long that everything was blurry.
Cheng Yang closed her eyes and tried to recall, trying to grasp a tail.
She had to remember the things related to Xu Xun.
It was summer now, and the window was open for ventilation.
The heavy rain had been falling since last night, intermittently, and it hadn’t stopped until daytime.
Cheng Yang stared at the heavy rain outside the window and could vaguely smell the moist, earthy scent mixed with the smell of grass.
She liked extreme weather, especially this kind of thunderstorm.
Xu Xun was still fast asleep. Suddenly, she moved her lips and said something in her sleep.
“Thank you…”
“Thank you for what? Thank who?”
Cheng Yang frowned, leaned over to listen, and then heard the other say “school uniform.”
“…”
What school uniform?
Cheng Yang rested her head on Xu Xun’s arm and tilted her head to look at her.
At this moment, it was as if a switch had been flipped in her.
Listening to the sound of raindrops falling to the ground, Cheng Yang’s thoughts were also slowly pulled back to many years ago.
Just like today, it was also a rainy day.
Thunder roared, and bean-sized raindrops hit the ground. The soil in the flowerbeds was beaten by the rain, emitting a unique moist, earthy smell.
The driver held an umbrella and escorted Cheng Yang into the car.
At this time, it had been more than half an hour since school had ended, and there was no one to be seen at the school gate.
The driver in the driver’s seat said, “Miss, tonight’s banquet starts at seven o’clock sharp. The chairman has already arranged it. We’ll go directly. The road is slippery in the rain. Please fasten your seatbelt.”
Cheng Yang nodded.
The raindrops were like broken strings of pearls, falling to the ground with a patter, creating small puddles.
The rain was pouring down, getting heavier and heavier. The strong wind even broke the branches of the trees at the school gate.
Cheng Yang liked this kind of extreme weather very much.
She didn’t sleep well, but she could sleep very soundly in this kind of weather.
The car was about to start. Cheng Yang glanced out the window from the corner of her eye and saw a slender figure running in the rain.
She turned her head and quietly looked at this person, her face expressionless.
In less than two seconds, this person fell directly onto the muddy ground.
She was slightly taken aback.
“Uncle Zhang, do you see that person? Drive the car over.”
The car quickly drove towards the person who had fallen and was not getting up.
The driver asked casually as he drove, “Miss, is this your classmate?”
Cheng Yang tilted her head. “I don’t know her.”
In the blink of an eye, the car stopped beside this person.
Cheng Yang pushed open the car door and opened the umbrella. She walked to this person’s side and held up the black umbrella, pulling her up with one hand.
The rain was very heavy, and the girl’s face was covered by her wet hair, so her face could not be seen clearly.
Cheng Yang pushed her into the back seat, then opened the other car door and got back in.
The girl was soaking wet, and water was constantly dripping from the ends of her hair. Her whole body was trembling.
Cheng Yang glanced at her, took off her school uniform, and handed it to her.
“Take off your clothes, wear mine.”
The girl was taken aback. She carefully took the clothes that Cheng Yang had handed her and slowly took off her wet clothes.
The clothes in her arms were warm and hot, with a faint fragrance that bloomed in the enclosed space of the car.
The girl stared at the school uniform jacket, then at her own soaking wet clothes, and hesitated before taking the school uniform off.
Cheng Yang’s gaze searched around. She casually handed her the blanket that was draped over her lap.
“Wipe yourself.”
The driver saw that the person was covered in water and her clothes were dirty.
He frowned, feeling that he shouldn’t have meddled in this business and wasted time.
“Miss, the chairman asked you to be there at seven o’clock sharp. It’s almost six-thirty.”
Cheng Yang glanced at the girl. “No rush. Take her home first.”
She looked directly into the other’s eyes and asked softly, “Where do you live?”
The girl glanced at her timidly, her voice small.
“…”
Cheng Yang frowned. “What?”
The girl slowly recited a string of addresses in the urban village and said in a small voice, “Thank you.”
Cheng Yang nodded. “Take her there.”
The driver frowned, looking embarrassed. “Miss, it’s too far. It will take more than an hour to drive there, and it’s raining heavily now…”
Cheng Yang looked up and gave him a cold glance.
The driver quickly started the car and sped off.
The girl turned her head and said in a small voice, “Thank you.”
“My… my name is Xu Xun.”
At this moment, a clap of thunder sounded in the sky.
Cheng Yang didn’t hear clearly.
But she didn’t ask, just nodded lightly.
She didn’t like to get close to people.
As for names and such, she couldn’t be bothered to know. Anyway, she was leaving soon and wouldn’t see her again.
A damp feeling suddenly came from her thigh. Cheng Yang felt a little uncomfortable.
She glanced at it from the corner of her eye and found that her pants had been soaked by the rain.
“…”
She was a bit of a clean freak, not seriously, but she was still not very comfortable.
Cheng Yang endured it.
Xu Xun wiped her dripping hair. She lowered her head and carefully looked to the left, only to find that the water from her pants had spread to where the other was sitting.
The school pants of No. 1 Middle School were blue, and they became more obvious when they got wet.
Now, there was a clear dividing line on the other’s pants.
She bit her lower lip and wiped the leather seat with her sleeve.
The more she wiped, the wetter it got.
She carefully looked at the other from the corner of her eye, knowing that she had caused trouble.
At this moment, Cheng Yang suddenly turned her face away and quietly looked out the window.
Hearing the sound of the girl wiping her hair, clothes, and pants, she slowly closed her eyes.
“How much longer?”
The driver replied, “It’s raining too heavily. I can’t see the traffic lights clearly. I don’t dare to drive too fast.”
Cheng Yang tilted her head. “Slow down. No rush.”
The urban village was more than thirty kilometers from the school, and it usually took more than an hour to drive there.
Now that it was raining heavily, it would probably be difficult to get there in two hours.
Cheng Yang tilted her head slightly and looked at the cars weaving through the heavy rain on the road. She didn’t notice that the girl was secretly sizing her up.
Her eyes were timid, like a stray cat’s.
Xu Xun’s hair was no longer dripping. She held the wet blanket in her arms, and it was on her lap, and she didn’t know where to put it.
This blanket was very soft and comfortable. Xu Xun stared at it and found that its pattern was very similar to the clothes that the class committee member in her class wore.
The class committee member said that this was called Hermès, a famous brand, and it was very, very expensive. A piece of clothing cost tens of thousands of yuan.
But now she had gotten someone else’s blanket wet, and it was dirty. She couldn’t afford it even if she sold everything she had.
Xu Xun held the blanket, wanting to say something but hesitating. After a while, she mustered her courage.
“I… I’ll buy you a new one.”
Cheng Yang glanced at her nonchalantly and closed her eyes, not wanting to talk.
Xu Xun took her silence as an agreement.
After nearly two hours, the white Bentley drove into the urban village.
The drainage system in the urban village was very poor. The water was very deep, and the road was narrow and rugged, full of potholes.
After shaking for a while, the driver finally drove the car in.
Cheng Yang looked up at the dilapidated unfinished buildings and slowly retracted her gaze.
The driver parked the car at a fork in the road. “Miss, the road is too narrow. The car can’t go in.”
Xu Xun quickly said, “Thank you! My house is just inside. I can walk on my own.”
As she spoke, she fumbled for the car door, but she didn’t know how to open it.
Anxious and embarrassed, Xu Xun’s ears turned red.
Cheng Yang glanced at her without saying anything, unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned forward slightly, and took the initiative to open the car door for her.
The dry and soft hair slowly brushed past the girl’s nose, like a butterfly spreading its wings, creating a hurricane in her heart.
Xu Xun leaned back and held her breath.
The car door opened.
“Th-thank you.”
The corners of Cheng Yang’s lips curved, and she was in a good mood.
“You’re welcome.”
This smile was not obvious, but her face was magnified dozens of times in the other’s eyes.
Xu Xun quickly averted her gaze, her pupils trembling slightly.
After getting out of the car, Cheng Yang opened the umbrella and handed it to her.
The two of them looked at each other. Xu Xun was about to say something, but Cheng Yang turned and left.
It was already dark, and the car slowly drove away from the narrow street.
Cheng Yang sat in the car and wiped the water on the right seat.
Feeling a chill, Cheng Yang looked down at her short-sleeved shirt and only then did she remember that she had forgotten to get her school uniform back.
Looking back, Cheng Yang saw the girl from just now standing under the streetlight with an umbrella, watching her leave.
She was still wearing her clothes.
