The night rain knocks on the window, my heart is getting closer

Summer weather changes quickly. Just a moment ago, the sky was clear, then suddenly it was covered with dark clouds and thunder rumbled. I was sitting by the window, reading a Taoist scripture, when big raindrops pattered against the window frame.

I stood up to close the window, but saw Yiqing walking quickly from the alchemy room, holding an oil-paper umbrella. The hem of his blue shirt was wet with rain. Seeing me standing at the window, he quickened his pace and came to the corridor.

"The rain is coming down hard, be careful not to catch a cold." He stood in the corridor with his umbrella closed, tiny water droplets still hanging on the ends of his hair.

"You're the one whose clothes are all wet." I saw a dark stain on his shoulder and couldn't help but ask with concern, "Go change into dry clothes."

He didn't rush to change, but instead came over to me and watched the rain outside the window with me. Raindrops pounded the banana leaves in the courtyard, making a crisp sound, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and grass.

"Summer showers come and go quickly." He looked at the rain and said gently, "I remember it was a rainy day like this when you first came to Zixu Temple."

I was slightly startled, remembering the anxiety and fear I felt when I first crossed over: "At that time... it was thanks to the Taoist priest that I was taken in."

"Call me Yiqing." He turned to look at me, his eyes soft. "You are no longer the anxious Miss Bu."

Yes, time flies, and before I knew it, I had already considered this place my home. And all this change is because of the person in front of me.

"When you played 'Ten Flying Daggers' that day, I knew you were extraordinary." He gazed at the rain, as if reminiscing about the past. "The music carried a sharpness and determination that didn't belong to this era."

My heart moved slightly. I didn't expect that he had already noticed my difference at that time.

"Don't you... think I'm an oddball?" I asked softly.

"The universe is so vast, nothing is impossible." He said calmly, "You're just from another world, so what's the difference?"

The tolerance in his words warmed my heart. Throughout my travels, he was the only one who had fully accepted my origins, without even a hint of doubt or rejection.

The rain gradually subsided, and the fine raindrops were like smoke and fog, shrouding the distant mountains in a hazy haze. We stood side by side in front of the window, quietly admiring the mountain scenery in the rain.

"Are you cold?" he asked suddenly.

I shook my head, only to see he had already taken off his coat and gently draped it over my shoulders. The coat still carried his body warmth and a faint scent of pine, enveloping me completely.

"It's cold in the rain, be careful not to catch a cold." He straightened my clothes, his movements were natural, as if he had done it a thousand times before.

I looked down at the overly large blue shirt on my body, and an indescribable throbbing welled up in my heart. This kind of intimate gesture far exceeded the friendship between master and disciple.

"Thank you." I said softly, wrapping my clothes tighter.

He looked at me quietly, his eyes deep. The sound of the rain made this moment particularly quiet. I could almost hear my own heartbeat, beating against my chest again and again.

"Luanyin." He suddenly called me, his voice a little lower than usual.

"Hmm?" I raised my eyes and met his focused gaze.

He reached out and gently brushed away a strand of hair from my cheek. His fingertips were slightly cool, but when they touched my skin, it felt like a burning sensation.

"When the rain stops, I'll take you to the back hills to see the rainbow, okay?" he said softly. "In the summer, after a sudden rain, you can often see the amazing sight of a double rainbow piercing the sun."

"Okay." I replied softly, feeling anticipation in my heart.

The rain gradually stopped, and the sun shone through the clouds, casting dappled shadows across the courtyard. He was right. A brilliant rainbow appeared in the eastern sky, a dazzling display of colors, like a dream.

"Let's go." He extended his hand to me with a faint smile on his lips.

I looked at that bony hand and hesitated for a moment before placing my hand on it. His palm was warm and dry, and he gently held my hand.

We walked hand in hand out of the corridor, treading on the wet bluestone path towards the back mountain. After the rain, the mountain was as beautiful as a wash, the grass and trees were lush and green, and the air was filled with a fresh scent.

The mountain road was slippery, so he always walked in front, carefully holding my hand. When we encountered a difficult section, he would look back and keep his other hand on my waist.

"Be careful where you step." He stopped in front of a steep slope, turned around and held me steady.

I used his strength to cross the steep slope, but my hand unconsciously tightened, holding his hand even tighter. He seemed to sense my dependence, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he turned his hand to completely wrap my hand in his palm.

Holding hands so intimately made us stop talking and just walk quietly, feeling the warmth of each other's palms.

When we arrived at an open plain behind the mountain, we saw a rainbow spanning the sky, colorful and beautiful.

"It's so beautiful." I looked at the rainbow in the sky and couldn't help but admire it.

"Not as good as you." He said softly.

I turned to look at him, but saw that he was looking at me intently, with a rainbow halo reflected in his eyes, making them look even deeper.

"Yiqing..." I called him softly, my heart beating faster.

He slowly raised his hand and stroked my temples with his fingertips: "There's dew on your hair."

This intimate gesture made my cheeks slightly hot, but I couldn't bear to avoid his touch.

"Luanyin." He looked at me, his eyes gentle yet firm. "During these days together, do you understand my feelings?"

I lowered my eyes and nodded gently. How could I not understand such obvious affection?

"I've practiced for decades, and I thought my heart was firm and untainted by worldly desires." He said in a low voice, "Until I met you, I realized there was such a heartwarming warmth in this world."

I raised my eyes and met his affectionate gaze, and my heart was filled with indescribable throbbing.

"Me too." I whispered, "Meeting you is the greatest luck in my life."

His eyes instantly lit up with a radiant light, a joy so genuine that it filled me with joy. He gently pulled me into his arms. The embrace was light, filled with careful cherishment, yet I could feel the same rapid heartbeat beneath his chest.

"Let me tell Master..." He whispered in my ear, "I want to become your Taoist partner, and from now on, walk hand in hand and learn the great Dao together."

I leaned into his embrace and nodded gently. At this moment, any words were superfluous.

The rainbow gradually faded, and the afterglow of the setting sun gilded the mountains. We stood together, gazing at the gorgeous sunset in the sky, our hearts filled with peace and happiness.

It was already dark when we returned to Zixu Temple. He stopped in front of the gate and gently let go of my hand.

"Tomorrow I'm going to see Master." He looked at me with gentle eyes. "Are you... willing?"

"Of course I would." I answered without hesitation.

He smiled, a smile that was particularly warm in the twilight: "See you tomorrow."

I watched him turn and leave, and an indescribable sweetness welled up in my heart. This summer rain not only cleansed the sky and earth, but also brought our hearts closer.

In the dead of night, I sat alone by the window, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, recalling every detail of the day. The warmth of his palm, the warmth in his arms, the affection in his eyes, all filled my heart with warmth.

I am so lucky to have met him and received his true heart after traveling through thousands of years in this life.

I heard subtle footsteps outside the window. I looked up and saw Yiqing standing in the courtyard, his figure slender in the moonlight. Seeing that I hadn't rested yet, he was slightly startled, then smiled gently.

"It's late, go to bed early." He said softly.

"You too." I whispered back.

He nodded, but stood still. We looked at each other through the window, the moonlight flowing quietly, freezing this moment into eternity.

I don't know how long it was before he turned and left. I watched his back disappear into the moonlight, my heart filled with peace.

That night, I slept exceptionally soundly. In my dream, I seemed to be back in the mountains, just after the rain, with him holding my hand, and we walked along with flowers and rainbows as witnesses.