Chapter 27 Unexpected Guest

Even though Jiang Rong was fast, his back and head were still soaked by the black rain. The rain was very cold, making him shiver. He had never been caught in such cold rain in July before.

When the father and son returned home, the rain outside was pouring down, drowning out all other sounds. Fortunately, Jiang Rong's house had a good drainage system, and there was no standing water in the yard.

Normally, Jiang Xiaoheng would get excited when he saw heavy rain and clamor to go outside and get soaked. But seeing the pitch-black rainwater, he hesitated: "Dad, the water smells a bit..."

Jiang Rong pulled her son back two steps: "Don't get wet."

Based on his past life's experience, Jiang Rong knew that people who got caught in the black rain would become weak. His son was young and had a weak immune system, and fearing he would get sick from the rain, he shielded him tightly on the way, making sure he didn't get wet. He wanted to make sure his son didn't get wet on the way back.

Jiang Rong closed the doors and windows of the house, shutting out the noise: "Then let's take a shower, and then Daddy will put on Team Meow for you, okay?"

Jiang Xiaoheng looked up at Jiang Rong, his big, dark eyes filled with worry, "Okay~ Dad, you have a lot of dirt on you."

It wasn't until he took a shower that Jiang Rong realized how disheveled he looked. His hair was soaked through by the black rain, clumped together in clumps. Rainwater that hadn't evaporated yet streamed down his forehead, drying into grayish-black streaks on his skin—this was the "dirt" Xiao Heng had been referring to.

The shirt, soaked by the black rain, felt stiff to the touch and smelled foul. Having lived through her past life, Jiang Rong knew this stench would linger for months until the next heavy rain washed away the black rain-covered vegetation. However, after being covered by the black rain for months, some plants could never fully recover.

While taking a shower, Jiang Rong started to feel unwell. He felt dizzy and his nose started to get stuffy. The black rain was affecting him faster than he had expected, and it seemed he would have to stay home for the next few days.

He wasn't the only one feeling unwell; the little fairy outside the door was too. The little fairy, who was usually unusually lively at night, had become listless after being caught in the rain. Now, she was lethargic in Jiang Rong's consciousness space, not even wanting to speak.

Just as Jiang Rong was trying to comfort the fairy, he noticed a large patch of grayish-white mist appearing in his sea of ​​consciousness. Soon after, he could no longer sense the sea of ​​consciousness and lost contact with the fairy.

At the same time, he felt his superpowers rapidly fading.

Jiang Rong stared gravely at the weakening blue power emanating from his fingertips. What was going on? What had happened to his power?

It would be a lie to say he wasn't worried. He had just adapted to his identity as a superhuman and was preparing to live a good life with his son in the wasteland. If his superpowers disappeared, his and his son's lives would definitely be affected.

Did the black rain strip him of his superpowers?

That shouldn't be the case. He only knew that ordinary people were prone to illness after being exposed to black rain in his past life, but he had never heard of superpowers disappearing after being exposed to rain. If that were true, it would have been widely known in his past life.

Thinking about it carefully, if he had been a superhuman in his past life, he wouldn't have told anyone that he would temporarily lose his powers after being caught in the rain. Who would reveal their weakness to a hidden enemy?

Based on the fairy's reaction, Jiang Rong figured the black rain was just temporarily weakening the ability users, and they would recover in a few days. Like the red light on Awakening Day, the black rain seemed to possess some unknown effect.

Relieved, Jiang Rong sat on the sofa and watched Team Meowth with her son. On the screen, Team Meowth was fighting the bad guys, and Jiang Xiaoheng watched the cartoon intently, even standing up to cheer for one of the teams when he got to the exciting parts.

Jiang Rong glanced at the screen and saw two groups of kittens spraying each other with water guns, the whole scene lively, cheerful, and adorable. To be honest, he couldn't quite understand why his son was so excited, but remembering how engrossed he was when he was a child, he smiled, shook his head, and casually picked up a book.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind at lightning speed.

Spraying water?

Didn't he get splattered by the black rain today? Afterwards, he felt dizzy and his superpowers temporarily disappeared. Luckily, he only happened to be near his home; if he had been out and about and encountered a robber, he would have been completely helpless.

If the black rain can temporarily disable his superpowers, can it also weaken other superpowered individuals?

Jiang Rong closed the book and began to ponder a question: Could he collect some black rain to keep? If he were ever robbed in the future, even if he couldn't make the other party's superpower disappear, he could at least splatter them with black rain.

Jiang Rong was incredibly efficient; once he thought of this, he was already heading towards the storeroom. He was going outside to collect some black rain, just in case it came in handy someday.

He had already experienced the power of the black rain firsthand, so he made many preparations for this trip.

Seeing his father put on rain boots, a raincoat, and an umbrella, Jiang Xiaoheng quickly slid off the sofa and asked, "Dad, are you going out?"

Jiang Rong held an umbrella in one hand and carried two large buckets of water in the other. "Dad is going to check the yard. You and Lele stay home and behave yourselves."

Jiang Xiaoheng stared at the bucket and scratched his head. "Oh..."

Do I need to bring a bucket when inspecting the yard?

The drainage pipe for Jiang Rong's house was located outside the east wall of the courtyard. There was no better place to collect rainwater than the outlet of the drainage pipe. As long as a bucket was placed there, a large bucket of black rainwater could be collected in no time.

After the gate opened, Jiang Rong walked eastward. A headlamp beam of white light shone from it, illuminating the path two or three meters ahead. Black water gushed eastward along the drainage ditch beside the wall; thankfully, his drainage system was good, otherwise the yard would definitely have flooded.

Suddenly, a pair of feet appeared in the flowing water ahead. The ankles of these feet were submerged in the flowing black water, and the skin around the ankles looked faintly bluish under the light.

Jiang Rong's gaze moved upwards along the feet, and he quickly saw the situation before him: a man was holding a large, military-green object in his arms, leaning against his courtyard wall and unconscious.

The man had long legs, and the rain soaked his clothes. His thin T-shirt and trousers clung to his body, revealing glimpses of his smooth, muscular physique beneath. He leaned against the wall with his head down, the gray-black rainwater sliding down his skin, making him look utterly disheveled.

When Jiang Rong saw the man's face clearly, he was taken aback. He actually knew this person!

The man before him was none other than Guan Shao, the one who had taught him a lot about fitness at the gym that day and given him many materials. Jiang Rong had a deep impression of Guan Shao, not only because he had helped her, but also because of Guan Shao's agile skills.

Although Guan Shao said that if Jiang Rong had any problems during her workouts, she could go to Chenggang Gym for help, she was too busy building houses and stockpiling goods to go there.

It was truly unexpected that Guan Shao would appear outside his courtyard gate on a dark, rainy night.

Jiang Rong put down the bucket and strode forward. He tilted the umbrella in his hand towards Guan Shao, and quickly took off the rubber glove on his other hand to feel for Guan Shao's pulse. Just as his hand was about to touch Guan Shao's skin, a cold hand suddenly rose up and grabbed his wrist.

Jiang Rong: ...

He had taken meticulous precautions to avoid the black rain, never expecting that he would accidentally remove his equipment. He had been careless.

Guan Shao gripped her wrist tightly, making Jiang Rong's wrist ache. Afraid that Guan Shao would continue to use force, Jiang Rong quickly introduced herself: "Guan Shao, I am Jiang Rong. Do you still remember me? We talked at Chenggang Gym."

Surprisingly, Guan Shao was still awake after being washed by the black rain for so long, but he was in poor mental condition. His pupils were slightly dilated, and his breathing and heartbeat were very weak. His muscles were tense, and he was on high alert.

Under the spotlight, Guan Shao's pupils dilated and contracted a few times, his muddled eyes clearing for a moment. He struggled to lift his head and look at Jiang Rong, "Jiang... Rong..."

Jiang Rong tried several times, but couldn't pull his hand away from Guan Shao's. Left with no other option, he tilted his head and clamped the umbrella handle between his fingers. At the same time, he removed the headlamp from above and wedged it into the umbrella ribs.

White light shone down from above, illuminating Jiang Rong and Guan Shao's faces. Guan Shao's pupils slowly reflected Jiang Rong's face, "Jiang Rong."

"Good, it seems he recognized me." Jiang Rong tried to reason with him, "Yes, yes, it's me. Can you let go of my hand?"

Guan Shao took a moment to react before slowly releasing his grip. Jiang Rong looked down and saw a clear black handprint on her wrist. Even in his condition, Guan Shao still possessed such strength; he truly was a man who regularly trained and was agile.

Seeing Guan Shao's pale face, Jiang Rong hurriedly said, "Guan Shao, can you still stand up? The rain is too heavy, you'll get sick if you sit here." As she spoke, Jiang Rong reached out to take Guan Shao's hand.

Guan Shao was terribly exhausted. Realizing that an acquaintance was approaching, his mind uncontrollably relaxed. As soon as his mind relaxed, his consciousness began to fade.

If he were alone, he would surely faint without worry. But he still had a mission to complete. Guan Shao's lips moved, and a weak voice escaped his lips, "...the child..."

Jiang Rong brought her head close to Guan Shao's lips before she could hear what he said: "...the child...in my arms..."

Fearing Jiang Rong wouldn't understand, Guan Shao raised his hand and touched the large blob of military green in his arms. Only then did Jiang Rong look at Guan Shao's arms. He had originally thought Guan Shao was holding a backpack or something, but he didn't expect that the blob of military green was a raincoat, and a pair of small feet were sticking out from under the raincoat.

Seeing Guan Shao's reaction, Jiang Rong could easily understand what he meant: "You mean you have a child in your arms, and you want me to save the child first, right?"

Guan Shao forced a weak smile: "Thank you..."

Jiang Rong bent down and pulled open the head of her raincoat, revealing a pale, delicate little face. The child looked only a few years older than Jiang Xiaoheng, and had fallen into a deep sleep under the onslaught of the black rain.

Jiang Rong bent down and picked up the child: "I'll take the child back first, and then I'll carry you on my back in a bit."

The moment Jiang Rong picked up the child, Guan Shao's head lolled to the side and he fainted: "Thank you..."

*

Seeing his father carrying two people back from outside the yard, Jiang Xiaoheng was stunned: "Dad, are there people living in our yard now?"

He knew mushrooms would grow in the forest on rainy days, but he didn't know people could grow in the yard when it rained. No wonder Dad carried two buckets out; does carrying just one bucket make a person grow?

If he takes two more buckets out, can he bring back two children?

Seeing her son's eager expression, Jiang Rong knew he was thinking something strange again. Afraid he might do something dangerous while she was busy, Jiang Rong quickly stopped him: "Come help Dad! Uncle and the little boy have fainted outside our yard."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiaoheng immediately forgot about carrying the bucket out the door and transformed into his father's little errand boy: "Dad, I'm here!"

The child in Guan Shao's arms had fallen into a deep sleep after being soaked in the black rain. He was cold all over and desperately needed a hot bath. Jiang Rong ran hot water in the shower, and Jiang Xiaoheng generously offered his favorite bathtub, a little duck toy, and mint-scented shower gel.

Jiang Xiaoheng watched longingly as his father took off the older boy's raincoat, exclaiming, "Dad, the older boy is so handsome!"

Jiang Rong responded and, after taking off the first layer of raincoat, noticed that the child was wearing another layer. It seemed that Guan Shao had noticed Hei Yu's unusual behavior and, fearing the child would get sick, had taken off his own raincoat and given it to the child.

If they weren't related by blood, why would Guan Shao make such a huge sacrifice?

Looking more closely at the child's face, although he was dark-skinned and thin, the two did indeed share some resemblance in their eyes and brows. Guan Shao was handsome, and this child was no less so. No wonder Xiao Heng said the older brother was good-looking; if this child was raised well, he would definitely grow up to be a handsome young man no less than Guan Shao.

Seeing that his father had finished giving his older brother a bath, Jiang Xiaoheng handed him his favorite bath towel: "Dad, use this towel to dry your older brother's body."

Jiang Rong took the towel and glanced at his son. He saw anticipation and excitement in the child's eyes. Xiao Heng was actually a very sociable child, but since moving back to his hometown, he had no playmates his own age. Now that a child not much older than him had come to live with them, Jiang Xiao Heng couldn't wait for the child to open his eyes and start playing with him.

The child's old clothes were tattered and couldn't be worn anymore. Fortunately, he had bought his son a lot of clothes recently, so it was easy to find clothes that fit the child.

After changing his clothes, the child nestled obediently in Jiang Rong's arms and fell asleep, making Jiang Xiaoheng's eyes well up with envy. He suggested again, "Dad, let the little brother sleep in my room? My bed is big and soft, the little brother will definitely like it!"

Jiang Rong was both amused and exasperated: "You want to sleep with me tonight, right?"

Jiang Xiaoheng showed no sign of guilt at being exposed; he chuckled, revealing his pearly white teeth, "Yes~"

After placing the child in her son's bedroom, Jiang Xiaoheng happily stood by, and Jiang Rong finally had time to tidy up Guan Shao.

He initially thought Guan Shao's weakness was due to the black rain, but after removing his wet clothes, he discovered several wounds on his side and back. The smallest wound was the size of a palm, while the largest was a foot long.

Fortunately, these wounds were all superficial and did not damage Guan Shao's internal organs or bones. The black rain had soaked the wounds until they turned white, and just looking at them was painful.

Jiang Rong filled a basin with clean water and carefully wiped Guan Shao's body. After cleaning the dirt from his upper body, he noticed many scars on Guan Shao's skin. Some scars were new, some were old, which aroused Jiang Rong's curiosity: What did Guan Shao do for a living? How could a normal person have so many injuries?

Guan Shao was tall and strong, so cleaning his body was no easy task, especially since he was currently weak. Jiang Rong was already panting heavily after wiping Guan Shao's upper body, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Wiping the lower body was much faster, and he quickly helped Guan Shao put on his beach shorts. It wasn't that he didn't want to clean Guan Shao thoroughly, but his physical strength was limited, and some areas were... rather sensitive, so continuing to clean would be impolite.

After covering Guan Shao with a light blanket, Jiang Rong let out a long sigh of relief, her ears burning.

Just then, Jiang Xiaoheng suddenly pushed open the door and exclaimed, "Dad, my little brother is having a spasm! You have to go check on him!"

Convulsions? Could it be a high fever from being caught in the rain? Jiang Rong grabbed a fever-reducing patch and ran to Jiang Xiaoheng's bedroom. Looking closely, he saw the child sleeping soundly. He turned to Jiang Xiaoheng: "Where are you having convulsions?"

Jiang Xiaoheng looked completely innocent: "The young man just moved his hand a few times." He gestured with his hand, "Like this, like this."

Jiang Rong: ...

He needs to talk to his son about the normal bodily reactions when a person is asleep.

After tossing and turning for half the night, Jiang Rong finally remembered something important when he lay down in bed: he had left his bucket outside the courtyard gate and forgotten to put it under the drain on the east side.

Forget it, let's talk about it tomorrow. He's really exhausted.

He slept soundly through the night, and when Jiang Rong woke up again, he was still listless and lethargic. His arms, in particular, felt as heavy as lead.

Jiang Xiaoheng stayed up all night yesterday, so he should have been able to sleep a little longer. But when he saw his father get up, he sat up too. Not fully awake, he sat on the bed dozing off, his little head nodding.

Jiang Rong drew back the curtains and glanced out the window. The black rain hadn't stopped, but it was much lighter than yesterday's downpour. The mountains and forests were covered with a thick layer of grime, looking shrouded in mist. Under the gray sky, varying shades of gray and black created a somber atmosphere that was instantly depressing.

Thinking about the next few months, with everything in sight being this gray and black, Jiang Rong couldn't help but sigh.

After rubbing his sore arms, Jiang Rong looked in the direction of the fairy. Black rainwater soaked the fairy's body, turning her emerald green skin into an unsightly bluish-gray. The fairy slumped listlessly.

Normally, when the fairy saw him draw back the curtains, she would happily bloom a flower. But today, she merely swayed her body slightly in Jiang Rong's direction, shaking off some of the water droplets clinging to her thorns.

That counts as saying hello.

Seeing that the fairy still recognized him, Jiang Rong felt relieved; it seemed his guess was correct. He left the bedroom to check on the two guests from the previous night.

Guan Shao was still asleep. His temperature was a little high, but his breathing and heartbeat had returned to normal. Fearing infection, Jiang Rong removed the gauze to take a look. What he saw surprised and envious him. The terrible wound from yesterday had begun to heal today, with a light brown scab appearing around the narrow wound.

Both of them had been drenched in the black rain; his body felt heavy, his nose was stuffy, and his arms ached. But Guan Shao's self-healing ability was so powerful; Jiang Rong was envious once again, following her reaction last night.

Just then, Jiang Xiaoheng's voice came from outside the door: "Dad, Big Brother is awake!"

Jiang Rong strode into Jiang Xiaoheng's room. Just as Jiang Xiaoheng had said, the child was already awake. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly in Jiang Rong's direction.

Seeing the child awake, Jiang Rong breathed a sigh of relief. He slowed his pace and walked to the child, saying gently, "You're awake?"

The child slowly raised his head to look at Jiang Rong, his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes clearly reflecting Jiang Rong's face. Seeing his expression, Jiang Rong thought of Wang Chunlan's daughter, Lei Lei. Could this child, like Lei Lei, have also become withdrawn after the great crisis?

However, the child's situation is different from Leilei's. Leilei only recognizes Wang Chunlan, and she doesn't react to external stimuli. The child's little hands are trembling slightly, and she seems to be terrified.

Jiang Rong crouched down to the child's eye level and gave him a gentle smile: "Baby, don't be afraid, you're safe now. Your father is in the next room, he hasn't woken up yet, and you're both alright. If you can understand me, please nod to me, okay?"

After a long while, the child finally nodded slowly.

Fortunately, the child was just slow to react, much better than Leilei. Seeing the child's hands still trembling, Jiang Rong reached out her hand towards the child: "Don't be afraid, shall I take you to see your father?"

The child stared silently at Jiang Rong's palm for a moment. Just when Jiang Rong thought he was about to refuse, he slowly raised his hand and placed it in Jiang Rong's palm. Jiang Rong smiled gently and praised him, "Good boy~"

To make her child feel safe and able to visit Guan Shao anytime, Jiang Rong deliberately left the room lights on. That way, whether it's day or night, whenever the child misses his father, he can go to him.

However, as the day went by, Jiang Rong discovered that Jiang Xiaoheng visited Guan Shao more often than the boy. On several occasions, Jiang Xiaoheng even dragged him to the room.

Most of the time, the child's eyes are unfocused and his face is expressionless. He doesn't cry when he's sad, nor does he fuss when he's hungry. Except when he's eating, his mouth is tightly closed, like a clam shell.

Jiang Rong only had experience taking care of Jiang Xiaoheng. Jiang Xiaoheng was lively, considerate, and well-behaved, and was also good at expressing his needs, which gave him the illusion that all children in the world were as easy to take care of as Jiang Xiaoheng.

But all the tricks used against Jiang Xiaoheng failed him when it came to this child. After two days, he knew nothing about the child: what his name was, where he lived, or how old he was.

Looking at the child's expressionless face, Jiang Rong sighed in distress. If Guan Shao didn't wake up soon, he would become the one with autism.

However, Jiang Xiaoheng didn't see anything wrong with it. Even if the older brother didn't say anything, he could still get along well with him. The older brother was a very nice person; whether he was watching Team Meow or playing with Autobots, the older brother would always be by his side.

The older boy is much better than the chubby kids in the daycare; Xiao Heng likes playing with him.

The black rain fell for a day and two nights, and on the morning of the third day, the bright sun rose again.

As soon as the sun rose, the temperature outside quickly increased. The rainwater remaining in the yard evaporated, leaving behind gray-black marks, turning the white cement ground into a mottled gray-black.

The little fairy was no exception; its emerald green body was covered with a layer of black shell, and its waxy yellow thorns were also mottled with black. Early in the morning, it began to twist its thorns, trying to rub off the dust from its body.

Watching the fairy gradually become more active, Jiang Rong had a premonition that his superpowers would soon return.

After the black rain stopped, Jiang Rong finally mustered the courage to walk towards his small vegetable garden. The black rain had washed away the shade netting he had set up; two of the nettings had disappeared, and the remaining one was twisted and stuck to the ground.

Most of the seedlings that Jiang Rong had painstakingly cultivated disappeared, and those that were lucky enough to survive lay wilted and lifeless on the ground. Jiang Rong's efforts over the past half month had been completely wasted.

However, his efforts were not entirely in vain. If there was any surprise, it was that one of the chili seedlings mutated. The black rain not only failed to destroy it, but instead made it grow even stronger.

In the gray-black vegetable patch, only this one bare chili pepper plant stood. Seeing this, Jiang Rong comforted herself: at least one chili pepper plant survived; it's better than total annihilation.

Just as he was about to go down to check on his chili seedlings, Uncle Li's voice came from the mountain valley to the east: "Xiao Rong—are you planting vegetables?"

Jiang Rong thought Uncle Li wanted him to go and check on the fruit trees in the orchard, but he might have to disappoint Uncle Li today. His superpowers hadn't recovered yet, so he probably couldn't help.

However, Uncle Li didn't come for the fruit trees; instead, he came to deliver fruit and fresh vegetables to Jiang Rong and his son. He had a small trailer with a basket of large, pinkish-white peaches on it.

As soon as he saw Jiang Rong, Uncle Li beamed with joy: "The peaches at home are ripe, I've brought some for you and the baby to eat."

Jiang Rong quickly declined, saying, "Uncle Li, this is too much. My baby and I will keep a few to try. You can keep the rest for yourself!"

Uncle Li's family situation is a bit complicated. There are more than a dozen people living in his family. Every day, as soon as they open their eyes, they need to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. He needs these peaches more than I do.

*

While Jiang Rong and Uncle Li were politely declining each other's offer, Guan Shao finally woke up inside the room. He lay quietly on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling light above him. His mind was a bit muddled, and he needed to think carefully about what had happened.

After lying down for a while, Guan Shao finally pieced together what had happened in the past few days.

Before the black rain fell, he had fought a fierce battle. He encountered a predatory ability user who almost stole his lightning-type ability. Because he had a child with him, he couldn't use his full strength and could only seize an opportunity to steal a car and escape.

It was dark and raining heavily, and he couldn't tell which way to go, so he could only rely on his sense of direction and drive on less congested roads. When he got near Lingshan Reservoir, the vehicle skidded and went out of control, and he and his child almost fell into the pond to feed the fish.

After climbing out of the car, he decided to find shelter to survive the Black Rain. However, suffering from both blood loss and hypothermia, his strength rapidly depleted. As he passed a concrete wall, his body went limp and he collapsed to his knees, never to rise again.

Until he collapsed, his memory was still relatively clear. However, what happened after he collapsed is not so clear to him.

He only remembered a period of darkness with white lights flickering before his eyes. As his vision gradually cleared, he saw a pair of familiar eyes. There was no wariness or defensiveness in those eyes, no malice or scheming, but only concern.

Under the white halo, Jiang Rong's face gradually became clear. He was wearing a slightly transparent raincoat, and the collar of his white shirt was open, vaguely revealing his wing-shaped collarbone.

He was like a soft light, illuminating the surrounding darkness.

After that, he remembered nothing.

Unexpectedly, he would run into Jiang Rong by accident... Guan Shao raised his arm to cover his eyes, and the smile on his lips grew wider and wider.

*

The animated series "Captain America" ​​was playing on the TV in the living room, and Jiang Xiaoheng was watching it with his older brother on the sofa. Suddenly, the door to the room next to the TV wall opened, and Guan Shao slowly walked out of the bedroom.

Guan Shao was surprised to find two children watching TV when he opened the door, and he stood frozen at the bedroom door for a moment.

Before Guan Shao could react, Jiang Xiaoheng became excited. He jumped up from the sofa and shouted loudly in Guan Shao's direction, "Dad—Dad—"

Guan Shao: ? ? ?

The next moment, the young child ran towards the gate, shouting, "Uncle's awake!"

Guan Shao: ...

Author's Note:

Guan Shao: When I woke up, a child called me Dad.

He looked intently at Jiang Xiaoheng.

Guan Shao: It's quite cute. Having another child wouldn't be a bad thing.

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