Chapter 63: The Rain Got Heavy…

Yue Yiyue had once scrolled past a video about A City on a short-video app.

A whirl of luxury and indulgence, where people played at life—this was A City.

Yue Yiyue found this description a bit hard to grasp, but when she saw comments recommending the local snacks and architecture, she thought it seemed pretty good.

A City was one of the most economically developed places in the region.

It had the sea and the region’s largest port.

Gu Nanqiu would look great taking photos there with a scarf on.

Her finger slid down, and a netizen named Little Su Little Su commented: “A City has had too many unexplained deaths lately. Recently, people can only enter, not leave. Be careful.”

She swiped past it, ignoring the comment.

There were twenty minutes until boarding.

Yue Yiyue stood up, and Gu Nanqiu followed right behind her. She poked her head around: “Wow, then we can celebrate the holiday together there.”

“Yeah, it’ll be an interesting experience.” Yue Yiyue headed toward the VIP channel. “If you like the hot springs there, we can spend every holiday there as long as I’m around.”

“Great! Yiyue!” Gu Nanqiu counted on her fingers. “After that, we can visit a few places each year. You pick. If we live to sixty… we’ll eventually see the whole world!”

Yue Yiyue looked at Gu Nanqiu’s expression, and a trace of uncertainty about the future flashed in her eyes. She didn’t dare promise a lifetime.

She just reminded Gu Nanqiu that it was time to board.

Gu Nanqiu, immersed in blueprints of their future plans, also caught the subtext in Yue Yiyue’s silence.

She gripped Yue Yiyue’s hand tightly. “We’ll have a future.”

Yue Yiyue froze for a moment. She didn’t respond, just said again: “Come on, it’s time to board.”

————

The plane took off smoothly. Nearby, a little girl played with the plush toy in her hands and occasionally sneaked glances at Gu Nanqiu. Seeing that Gu Nanqiu didn’t seem to mind her,

she said a few words to her mother, then hopped down from her seat and pattered over to Gu Nanqiu’s side.

At the flight attendant’s reminder, Gu Nanqiu instinctively pulled this unexpected visitor into her arms.

Finally able to snuggle up to this big sister, the little girl lay in Gu Nanqiu’s sturdy embrace, feeling the steady warmth flowing from her. She hoped she could grow up to look as strong and beautiful as this sister.

The pure innocence in the little girl’s eyes was so amusing, and Gu Nanqiu reached out to play with her too.

Yue Yiyue captured the moment on camera.

Lately, the number of photos of Gu Nanqiu on her phone had grown. Yue Yiyue wondered if she should get a proper camera.

Gu Nanqiu noticed Yue Yiyue taking photos and suddenly put her phone down. Holding the little girl, she said: “Yiyue, she’s so well-behaved—”

Yue Yiyue leaned over. The little girl grinned and called her “sister,” then reached out for a fist bump.

Just like that, the big and the small started playing together.

Specifically, the little girl pulled out her Lego blocks and asked Yue Yiyue if she had any ideas, wanting to play together.

Gu Nanqiu joined in too, and the two adults and one child built a small boat.

The long flight suddenly became fun.

The little girl’s mother looked apologetically at the two kind strangers and took a nice fountain pen from her bag. “Thank you for your trouble.”

Yue Yiyue poked her head out. “No problem. Your daughter is adorable and smart. Her approach to building with blocks was very sensible. She even told us not to make it too big, or it’d be hard to hold when the plane descends.”

“Are you headed to A City?” The little girl’s mother looked at Yue Yiyue. “You’d better transfer out quickly. That place hasn’t been safe lately.”

Seeming concerned about something, the mother lowered her voice and glanced around. “Don’t stay too long. Rumors say some unknown Rules have descended on that city. You college students might not get it, but a friend of a friend’s relative died mysteriously there, and no one knows what to do about it yet.”

At the mention of Rules, Yue Yiyue glanced at Gu Nanqiu beside her. She was still focused on building blocks, seemingly unconcerned about these so-called Rules.

Was there a plot like this?

Yue Yiyue quickly ran through it in her mind, but it was all a fog.

Fine.

“Thanks for the warning, sis. We got it. Something dangerous showed up in A City, right? We’ll just soak in the hot springs and grab some food.”

————

The plane landed. The little girl reluctantly said goodbye to the two creative big sisters, contentedly hugging her small boat as she held her mother’s hand to transfer flights.

Yue Yiyue looked at the churning dark clouds and rumbling thunder outside A City.

“At this rate, their flight might be delayed?” Yue Yiyue squinted at the many flights already announced as canceled. “I didn’t look out the window earlier, or I might’ve seen lightning.”

Gu Nanqiu didn’t feel any regret. “When we get back, we can buy one too and build it together! There’s space on the cabinet. We can make a big one!”

“Okay, sounds good. Let’s head to the hotel now. It’ll be trouble if the rain gets heavier.”

Gu Nanqiu glanced back at a woman standing in the distance, dressed in a blue shirt and a long black trench coat. A flicker of hesitation passed through her eyes, but in the end, Gu Nanqiu gave a slight nod toward her.

Then that figure melted into the crowd.

Something stirred in the air, and an invisible film enveloped the entire A City.

————

Bean-sized raindrops hammered the car window, drumming out an unpleasant tune.

They also blurred the view outside.

On the elevated bridge, the car ran steadily. Yue Yiyue watched the steady driver up front, envying him and thinking she should get her license after graduation.

But cars were too expensive. With her post-grad salary, she couldn’t afford one, so she gave up on the idea.

Gu Nanqiu gazed thoughtfully out the window—who knew what scenery of A City she saw through that small pane?

“Nanqiu, are you worried the rain will mess up our plans?” Yue Yiyue saw the downpour intensifying outside, and her phone popped up a severe storm alert. “I checked the forecast. It’ll be cloudy later, so we can still go out. Tomorrow, indoor spots, or just sleep in at the hotel.”

“That works.” Gu Nanqiu turned her head and smiled softly at Yue Yiyue. “As long as it’s your plan, I’ll follow.”

Then she scooted over to Yiyue’s side, rested her head on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear: “Yiyue, this place feels off to me. After we get to the hotel, let me sleep it off properly. I’ll get up tomorrow morning to play with you, okay?”

Yue Yiyue naturally put her arm around Gu Nanqiu’s shoulders, gesturing for her to lie on her lap.

She stroked the hair of Gu Nanqiu in her arms. “Sleep as long as you want. Rainy days are perfect for that, right?”

The driver saw their intimate gestures in the rearview mirror but paid them no mind.

A sickly sweet scent seemed to fill the air, and Yue Yiyue felt her mood lift as she breathed it in. She hummed a tune softly. “Nanqiu, do you think we could get a cat at home later?”

“Or a dog?”

Gu Nanqiu didn’t answer right away. Her hand clenched her clothes tightly. Her gaze fell on the cat ornament on the dashboard, staring at it—or perhaps at something else, lost in memory?

Unfortunately, Yue Yiyue couldn’t see.

Yue Yiyue just stroked Gu Nanqiu’s hair, wondering if they got a Maine Coon like her, would they fight?

If she paid more attention to the cat, would Nanqiu get jealous?

The breathing of the person in her arms evened out. Yue Yiyue played with her fingers gently. Playing with that little girl on the plane must’ve tired her out.

————

When Gu Nanqiu woke, she was already in fragrant, soft bedding.

Yue Yiyue was beside her, wearing pajamas in the same color scheme—the ones they’d mailed ahead a few days ago.

She rubbed her hair and first scanned the room.

It was the one she’d prepared: three bedrooms, two living rooms, a decent temporary Nest.

She paced to the door, checking if the lock was secure, then inspected the windows all around, confirming no issues, before heading to the bathroom.

As her clothes fell away, her pale skin faintly appeared through the frosted glass.

Yue Yiyue opened her eyes and peered at the frosted glass.

She rubbed her eyes, rolled over, and burrowed back under the covers.

Only her slightly red ears poked out. The AC in here seemed a bit high.

After some time, a faint sound came from the other bed.

The soft mattress dipped slightly as a damp mist drifted over, dripping onto Yue Yiyue’s ear.

Yue Yiyue jolted awake. She turned and saw Gu Nanqiu’s wet black hair hanging like seaweed down her slender frame. She carried an elusive loneliness, her pale face bloodless, the corners of her eyes tinged red.

Her dark eyes stared straight at Yue Yiyue lying beside her—intently, like a predator eyeing inescapable prey.

“Why didn’t you dry your hair?” Yue Yiyue didn’t find anything wrong with Gu Nanqiu like this. She secretly marveled at how truly beautiful Nanqiu was, then got out of bed. The priority now was to coax her into blow-drying her hair. The steam was heavy, but she still worried about her catching a cold.

She rummaged in the bathroom for the hairdryer, found a good spot, and patted the soft chair nearby, still covered with a thin blanket. “Nanqiu, come here quick, or we’ll have to change the sheets again.”

“I missed you,” Gu Nanqiu said suddenly. She didn’t move, still kneeling, her gaze fixed on Yue Yiyue just as before, her eyes darkening slightly.

“Bad dream?” That was the only explanation Yue Yiyue could think of. Or maybe, without her knowing, some weird Rules had dragged Gu Nanqiu away.

“Yeah.” Gu Nanqiu’s voice held a hint of grievance, her eyes redder, her tone suppressed with sadness. “I dreamed of so many people.”

“They had no faces, standing around me.”

“Over and over, saying they were Yue Yiyue, Yue Yiyue.”

“But they weren’t. They were all lying to me, deceiving me.”

“You weren’t there. They all lied to me.”

Hearing Gu Nanqiu’s voice like that softened Yue Yiyue’s heart. She stepped forward and hugged the slightly trembling Gu Nanqiu.

Wet bed? Change the sheets. Wet clothes? They had a dryer.

“It was a nightmare. I’m right here.”

“Feel my temperature. Feel my face.”

Foreheads pressed together, breaths mingling, Yue Yiyue could clearly hear Gu Nanqiu’s heartbeat.

Then she realized it was her own.

The rain outside seemed to intensify.

Moments later, Yue Yiyue hummed a cheerful tune as she drew the curtains, pulled Gu Nanqiu to the window seat, and picked up the hairdryer. “Now let the real Yue Yiyue blow-dry your hair. Any requests from Ms. Gu Nanqiu?”

“After, pick some pajamas you like, lie in bed and watch a movie? Or stroll the sky garden, then hit the hot springs? Sound good?”