Chapter 20

The rain poured down as if from the sky, so dense it was almost suffocating. Few pedestrians were on the streets, and vehicles slowed to a halt; windshield wipers scrambled futilely across the windshields, visibility remained poor.

Qiu Yayu huddled under the narrow eaves of the convenience store, cold rain dripping from her hair and the hem of her clothes, forming a small puddle at her feet. She hugged her arms tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably, unsure whether it was from the cold or from lingering fear. A dull ache throbbed from the spot on her forehead where she had been hit, and clear finger marks stood out starkly against her fair skin where Cheng Hao had gripped her wrist so tightly.

The convenience store lights shone through the glass door, carrying a faint warmth. She stared blankly at the splashing water and passing car headlights, her eyes vacant and terrified. Cheng Hao's eyes, now devoid of their gentle facade and radiating a sinister ruthlessness, the suffocating oppression in the car, and his malicious words replayed in her mind like a nightmare.

What's so good about him?

"Try it with me..."

"If he sees you 'voluntarily' getting into my car..."

Every word felt like a poisoned needle, piercing her heart with sharp pain. It wasn't just fear, but also a profound sense of humiliation—a feeling of being defiled and misunderstood. She shook her head violently, trying to banish these horrifying sounds. All she wanted now was to see Lü Xiaoyan, to hide in his world—a world filled with the smell of chemicals and the red safety lights—a world that made her feel absolutely safe.

But where is she? And where is he?

Qiu Yayu desperately remembered her phone, which had run out of battery and shut down. She tried to borrow a phone from passersby, but in the pouring rain, the hurried people either ignored her or waved her off quickly. A sense of helplessness washed over her like an icy tide, almost drowning her.

---

Meanwhile, Lü Xiaoyan stood soaking wet at the entrance of the activity center, rain streaming down his black hair and across his taut jawline. He had just searched every possible place in the building—the broadcasting station, the lounge, even the women's restroom—asking passing girls to check inside.

No. Not anywhere.

He dialed her number again and again, but all he ever heard was that cold, mechanical female voice: "The number you dialed is currently unavailable..."

The phone is off. Why is it off? Is it out of battery, or... has something happened?

The panic he felt when her accident happened last time swept over him again, even more intensely and heavily than before. He remembered the wound on her hand that had just healed, her tearful promise, and his own overly anxious attempts to protect her… Was it possible that no matter how careful he was, he couldn't prevent an accident from happening?

A near-desperate anxiety burned in his chest. He forced himself to calm down and considered where she might be. The dorm? The library? Or…did she go directly to the bookstore they had agreed to visit?

Without hesitation, Lü Xiaoyan dashed into the rain, sprinting towards the school gate. The rain blurred his vision, its coldness seeping into his clothes, but he was oblivious. Only one thought occupied his mind—to find her!

He first ran back to the dormitory building and asked the dormitory supervisor, but the answer was no. He then rushed to the library, searching for that familiar figure in the empty lobby and reading rooms, but still found nothing. Finally, he ran towards the bookstore outside the school gate.

The rain felt like icy whips lashing at him. When he rushed into the bookstore's warm, dry environment, panting and dripping wet, he immediately drew stares from the staff and other customers. Ignoring them, his gaze eagerly swept over every bookshelf and every corner.

No. It's not here either.

A profound sense of loss and a deeper fear gripped him like an invisible hand. He stood in the center of the bookstore, looking around blankly, raindrops dripping from him and forming a small puddle on the polished floor. Where else could he look for her?

Just then, his gaze inadvertently swept across the bookstore's glass window. Across the street, under the eaves of a convenience store, a slender figure huddled up, shivering, suddenly came into his view.

Even though the thick rain curtain obscured the figure, and even though the figure was almost huddled up, he recognized her at a glance—it was Qiu Yayu!

His heart felt like it had been struck by a hammer; it first stopped, then began to pound wildly. He rushed out of the bookstore almost without thinking, not even having time to apologize to the clerk.

"Qiu Yayu!"

Across the street, he called out her name loudly, his voice sounding somewhat distorted in the rain.

Under the convenient eaves, Qiu Yayu suddenly looked up, following the sound. Through the misty rain, she saw a figure, soaking wet, running towards her. At that moment, all her fear, grievances, coldness, and despair seemed to find an outlet.

She stood up, intending to cross the road and run towards him.

"Don't move! Stand there and wait for me!" When Lü Xiaoyan saw her get up, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest, and he immediately shouted to stop her. He glanced quickly at the traffic, seized a gap, and dashed across the road at top speed, splashing water everywhere.

He took a few steps up the steps in front of the convenience store and stood in front of her.

The two stood a step apart, soaked to the bone, looking at each other in the pouring rain.

Lu Xiaoyan gasped for breath, his gaze sweeping over her entire body swiftly and meticulously, like the sharpest lens. Her pale face, the wet hair clinging to her cheeks, her swollen forehead, the clear bruises on her wrists, and her eyes brimming with terror, grievance, and tears… everything was like the sharpest knife, slowly torturing his heart.

"What happened?" His voice was terribly hoarse, trembling uncontrollably. He reached out, wanting to touch the wound on her forehead, but afraid of hurting her, his fingers curled slightly in the air, and finally he just clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Looking at his face, covered in water droplets, and the undisguised panic and heartache, and at his chest heaving rapidly from running and anxiety, Qiu Yayu's carefully maintained strength crumbled instantly. Tears mingled with the rain and streamed down her face.

“Senior…” she choked out, taking a step forward and throwing herself into his cold, soaking wet arms. She clutched his clothes tightly with both hands, as if grasping at the only piece of driftwood, and burst into tears, “…Cheng Hao…he…he…”

She was incoherent, her body trembling violently from crying and lingering fear.

The moment she threw herself into his arms, Lü Xiaoyan froze for a second. Then, a surge of overwhelming rage and bone-chilling coldness swept over all his senses like a tsunami. Cheng Hao! It really was him!

He held the trembling girl tightly in his arms, his arms wrapped around her so tightly that he felt as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones, using his body heat to dispel her coldness and fear. He could feel her icy tears seeping into his soaked shirt, burning his skin.

He didn't press for details. From her fragmented words, the wounds on her body, and her extreme fear, he could already piece together the general events that had transpired. In those usually calm and composed eyes, an unprecedented storm, powerful enough to destroy the world, was now churning.

He lowered his head, his chin resting on the top of her wet hair, his voice low and dangerous, carrying an almost vow-like coldness and resolve:

“It’s alright,” he said, emphasizing each word. “I’m here.”

“No one,” he paused, his voice icy, “can hurt you again.”

The rain continued to fall. The relentless downpour enveloped the city, and also the two people tightly embracing under the eaves of the convenience store. One was sobbing uncontrollably, releasing the terror of surviving the ordeal; the other was burning silently, suppressing a devastating rage.

This rainy night is destined to be long and cold. Some boundaries, once broken, can never be undone. Some darkness, once revealed, must be completely eradicated.

Lü Xiaoyan knew there were some things he had to do. Rain dripped incessantly from the convenience store's neon sign, splashing into tiny droplets on the puddle. In the cramped space under the eaves, Qiu Yayu's sobs gradually subsided, turning into suppressed sobs. After the immense fear and emotional outburst, she was utterly exhausted. Leaning against Lü Xiaoyan, her body was ice-cold, with only a faint warmth coming from where he was holding her tightly.

Lu Xiaoyan didn't speak, but simply held her tighter, gently patting her back with one hand, like soothing a frightened animal. His jawline remained taut, his gaze, cold and sharp, peering through the rain towards the direction where Cheng Hao's car had disappeared. Yet, the way he patted her back was unusually gentle.

After a long while, Qiu Yayu's trembling slowly subsided. She raised her red and swollen eyes, her voice hoarse, "I... my phone died..."

"I know," Lü Xiaoyan said softly, raising his hand and carefully wiping away the mixture of rain and tears from her cheeks with his fingertips, avoiding the obvious redness and swelling on her forehead. His fingertips were icy cold, but his actions were filled with tenderness.

“He…he said he would take me to the school gate to find you…and then…” Qiu Yayu tried to explain haltingly, but fear gripped her again when she recalled the scene in the car, leaving her speechless.

"No need to say anything more," Lü Xiaoyan interrupted her, looking at her calmly. "I understand."

His calmness strangely soothed her. She looked into his deep eyes, where the storm seemed to have subsided, settling into a more formidable, unwavering resolve. She said nothing more, simply leaning against him dependently.

"Can we leave?" Lü Xiaoyan asked. "We need to get out of here first."

Qiu Yayu tried to move her legs, only to find that they were a little weak due to the prolonged tension and cold. She nodded, then shook her head.

Without hesitation, Lü Xiaoyan bent down and picked her up in his arms.

"Ah!" Qiu Yayu exclaimed softly, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. His embrace wasn't particularly broad, but it was steady and strong. Their soaked clothes clung together, conveying each other's coldness, but at this moment, she felt only an unparalleled sense of security.

Lu Xiaoyan carried her into the still torrential rain. The rain instantly soaked them again, but he seemed oblivious, simply holding her firmly as they walked towards the nearest hotel near the school. He couldn't take her back to her dorm now; she needed to change out of her wet clothes immediately, she needed warmth, she needed rest, and she also needed… to be away from any potential prying eyes.

The hotel receptionist was slightly surprised to see two young people, dripping wet and disheveled, especially Lü Xiaoyan's cold and tense expression and the obvious signs of crying on the girl in his arms. However, her good professionalism prevented her from asking any further questions, and she quickly checked them in.

Entering the room, Lü Xiaoyan gently placed Qiu Yayu on the bedside, then immediately turned to adjust the water heater and air conditioner. His movements were swift and methodical, his silence carrying a suppressed power.

"Go take a hot shower first." He opened the bathroom door, tested the water temperature, and said to Qiu Yayu, who was still somewhat dazed, "Be careful not to get the wound wet."

Watching his busy figure, and seeing the clear lines of his shoulder blades outlined by his soaked shirt clinging to his back, Qiu Yayu felt a lump in her throat again. She obediently stood up and went into the bathroom.

The warm water washed over her cold skin, sending a shiver down her spine. Looking at her pale face, swollen forehead, and bruises on her wrists in the mirror, Qiu Yayu felt a surge of humiliation and fear wash over her again. She forced her eyes shut, letting the hot water soak her entire body, trying to wash away the disgust and terror of being violated.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, wearing the hotel bathrobe and drying her wet hair with a towel, the air conditioning in the room was already blowing warm air, dispelling some of the chill. Lü Xiaoyan stood by the window, his back to her, gazing at the still-continuous rain outside. He had also changed out of his soaking wet coat, wearing only a dark short-sleeved T-shirt, revealing his well-defined arms. Hearing the noise, he turned around.

His gaze fell on her still-dripping hair and the faint bruises visible at the collar of her bathrobe, and his eyes darkened.

"Sit down." He picked up the hairdryer, his voice low.

Qiu Yayu obediently sat on the edge of the bed. Lü Xiaoyan stood in front of her, plugged in the hairdryer, and moved with a slightly clumsy but exceptionally gentle touch to her wet hair, the warm air brushing against her scalp and neck.

The hairdryer hummed, and for a moment, only that sound filled the room. Qiu Yayu lowered her head, feeling the touch of his fingertips occasionally brushing against her hair, and his silent yet steadfast protection. Her tense nerves gradually relaxed.

After drying her hair, Lü Xiaoyan put down the hairdryer, then took the hotel's first-aid kit and found iodine and cotton swabs.

"It might hurt a little." He crouched down to look her in the eye, his voice softening.

Qiu Yayu looked at his focused face, which was so close to hers, and nodded.

He carefully dipped a cotton swab in iodine and gently wiped away the redness and swelling on her forehead and the bruises on her wrist. The cool touch and slight sting made her frown slightly, but she didn't flinch. His movements were extremely gentle, as if he were handling a fragile treasure.

After treating the wound, Lü Xiaoyan packed up her first-aid kit, stood up, and silently looked at her.

“Senior…” Qiu Yayu looked up, her voice tinged with uncertainty and vulnerability, “Will you… tell the school?”

Lu Xiaoyan's gaze suddenly sharpened. "How do you want to handle this?" He threw the question back at her, respecting her wishes, but his eyes made it clear that he wouldn't let this matter go easily.

Qiu Yayu bit her lower lip. She was afraid of things getting out of hand, afraid of the rumors, afraid of facing Cheng Hao's potentially more insane revenge... But when she thought of his disgusting face, and that other girls might also encounter similar things, a surge of courage rose within her.

“I…” she took a deep breath, “I don’t want to just let this go.”

Looking at the faint spark that had rekindled in her eyes, Lü Xiaoyan nodded. "Okay." He said only this one word, but it carried immense weight.

He walked to the bedside, picked up the hotel's internal phone, and ordered two bowls of hot porridge and some snacks. Then, he sat down in the chair next to her without saying a word, simply keeping her company quietly.

Outside the window, the rain continued to fall. But in this small, unfamiliar room, his presence shielded her from the outside world's storms and malice. Qiu Yayu curled up on the bed, wrapped tightly in her bathrobe, watching his silent and resolute profile. Her heart, which had been terrified and cold and helpless in the rainy night, finally began to warm up little by little.

She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully tonight. But she also knew that with him by her side, she could get through even the longest night.

During that long, rainy night, Lü Xiaoyan made a decision. Some bottom lines cannot be crossed. Some people need to pay the price for their actions.