Chapter 20

Monday morning was crisp and clear, like after a rain shower. When Lu Baiyan entered the classroom, his gaze immediately fell on the seat by the window.

Xu Nianlei was already sitting there, head down, reciting English words from memory. She was wearing the gray wool coat he had bought her; its oversized style made her look even thinner, but her complexion was better than when she had been wandering the streets on Saturday—at least it wasn't that frighteningly pale anymore.

Lu Baiyan felt a little calmer. He walked to his seat without making a sound, took out his book as usual, as if the silent vigil over the weekend had never happened.

When he sat down, Xu Nianlei's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, but she didn't look up or show any reaction. She simply gripped her pen tighter, her knuckles turning slightly white. The mysterious eco-friendly bag and the hotel room felt like an unreal dream. She couldn't be sure who had done it; a name welled up inside her, but she dared not confirm it, nor did she want to delve into it. Accepting this help filled her with a complex mix of gratitude and embarrassment.

The first class was Chinese. The teacher was explaining classical poetry, and when she came to the line "When it rains, it pours," Xu Nianlei's head drooped even lower. Lu Baiyan could sense the embarrassment and vulnerability emanating from her.

During break, Liu Yiduo and a few other girls chatted together, their voices neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough to be heard in the back row.

"Hey, did you guys go to that new mall this weekend? That dessert shop is amazing!"

"I went, I bought a new dress, and my mom said it looks amazing."

"I really envy you guys. My mom forced me to go to tutoring classes for two days over the weekend. I'm exhausted."

These everyday routines, typical of ordinary girls, tinged with a mix of complaints and boasting, acted like an invisible wall, isolating Xu Nianlei from them. She sat there silently, like a lone island.

Lu Baiyan watched, feeling a pang of sadness. He knew that material deprivation was bearable, but this kind of spiritual isolation and contrast was the most hurtful.

The last period in the afternoon was a self-study period. The sky had darkened again, with heavy, low-hanging clouds foreshadowing an impending downpour.

As the school bell rang, large raindrops began to pound against the windows. A commotion arose among the students; those with umbrellas were relieved, while those without groaned and discussed how to rush back to the dormitory together or find shelter from the rain.

Xu Nianlei looked at the dense rain outside the window, her expression changing slightly. She clearly hadn't brought an umbrella. Moreover, after what happened Friday night, she wasn't sure if she could ever go back to that "home." That hotel room, obtained in exchange for the kindness of a stranger, only had to last until tonight. A sense of panic, a feeling of uncertainty about the future, quietly gripped her.

Lu Baiyan silently took out an umbrella from his schoolbag—it was still that dark blue one. He looked at Xu Nianlei standing there, staring helplessly at the heavy rain outside the window, and then at the crowd in the classroom that had not yet completely dispersed.

He knew that if he went straight over to hold an umbrella for her like "last time," it would undoubtedly push her into the eye of the storm of gossip again. After what happened over the weekend, he couldn't let her bear any more attention.

However, he couldn't let her get soaked in the rain alone.

Just as Xu Nianlei gritted her teeth, preparing to put her schoolbag on her head and rush into the rain, Lu Baiyan made a decision. He didn't walk towards her, but instead strode to the podium and spoke clearly enough for the students who hadn't yet left to hear:

"The rain is too heavy. Students who didn't bring umbrellas can wait in the classroom for a while, or see if there are any students going the same way who can share an umbrella. Please be careful."

His words were reasonable and in line with the duties of a class monitor. Several students who hadn't brought umbrellas echoed his sentiments and began looking for others to go with them.

After saying this, Lu Baiyan glanced casually in Xu Nianlei's direction and asked in a normal tone, "Xu Nianlei, which direction do you live in? If it's on the way, we can walk together for a while."

His invitation was open and natural, as if it were based solely on the principle of "mutual assistance among classmates," rather than any special consideration.

The classroom fell silent for a moment. All eyes, including Liu Yiduo's somewhat sharp gaze, were focused on them.

Xu Nianlei was completely unprepared for Lu Baiyan to ask her directly in front of so many people. Her face flushed red, her heart pounded, and she instinctively wanted to refuse. But looking at the torrential rain outside the window, which showed no signs of letting up, and thinking of her predicament of having nowhere to go, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

With her head down and her voice barely audible, she named a bus stop not far from the school, but slightly off-center from her actual residence. It was a stop near the guesthouse where she had temporarily stayed the previous night.

"It's on my way." Lu Baiyan nodded without changing his expression, opened his umbrella, walked to the classroom door, looked back at her, and said, "Let's go."

His attitude was so natural that it made those probing gazes less ambiguous and more relieved that "it was just passing by."

Under everyone's gaze, Xu Nianlei steeled herself and followed quickly with small steps, disappearing into the space under the blue umbrella.

The world outside the umbrella was noisy and damp, but the space under it was unusually quiet; they could even hear each other's soft breathing. Lu Baiyan still tilted most of the umbrella toward her, and his right shoulder was quickly soaked by the slanting raindrops.

The two walked silently in the rain. Rainwater gathered into streams on the ground, flowing gently. Xu Nianlei huddled close to the edge of the umbrella, trying to minimize her presence, the clean scent of soap on him and the crisp smell of rain lingering in her nostrils. It was a strange feeling, safe yet unsettling.

After walking a distance away from the main school road and the side paths where he might run into classmates, Lu Baiyan suddenly slowed his pace and spoke, his voice sounding somewhat low in the rain:

"That night..." He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "...were you alright afterwards?"

Xu Nianlei froze, looking up to meet his calm eyes, which held a hint of barely perceptible concern. He was asking about Friday night! He knew? How did he know? Had he heard the rumors, or…

Countless questions exploded in her mind, leaving her momentarily at a loss for words.

Lu Baiyan didn't urge her, but simply watched her quietly, waiting for her response. Rain dripped down the edge of the umbrella, forming a transparent curtain of water.

"...It's nothing." After a long silence, Xu Nianlei lowered her head again and answered in a dry voice. She couldn't bring herself to talk about sleeping on the streets and being helped by strangers; it was too embarrassing to mention.

"That's good." Lu Baiyan didn't press further, as if it were just a casual remark. He changed the subject, his tone becoming more relaxed, "It looks like this rain isn't going to stop anytime soon. Are you sure you want to get off at that bus stop? Do you need me to give you a ride a bit more?"

"No need! That's fine!" Xu Nianlei quickly refused, her heart pounding even faster. She dared not let him know where she was really going.

“Okay,” Lu Baiyan replied.

For the rest of the journey, the two fell silent again. But this silence was different from the previous one. It was as if something invisible was quietly flowing between them.

As they approached the bus stop, Xu Nianlei mustered her courage and whispered, "I'll get off here, thank you... class monitor."

She deliberately added the words "class monitor," as if to remind herself, or as if to draw a clear line between herself and others.

Lu Baiyan stopped and tilted the umbrella completely towards her to make sure she wouldn't get wet when she reached the platform canopy.

"Be careful on the road," he said, looking at her with deep eyes.

Xu Nianlei didn't dare to look him in the eye, gave a soft "hmm," and quickly ran towards the bus stop.

Lu Baiyan stood there, watching her slender figure disappear behind the platform's canopy, but he didn't leave immediately. The rain soaked his hair and shoulders, bringing a chill, but an indescribable emotion surged within him.

He knew that his question about "that night" had been somewhat risky and might have aroused her suspicion. But he needed to let her know that he wasn't unaware of her predicament. He couldn't openly intervene, but at least he could convey a silent support in this way—I know you're having a hard time, and I'm here for you.

He watched the bus pull into the station and saw her board before turning around and walking in the opposite direction from his home—he needed to take a longer route to get back.

The rain continued to fall, washing over the gray world. Lu Baiyan gripped the umbrella handle tightly, his eyes resolute.

Leilei, you don't need to know who I am, nor do you need to believe me immediately. You just need to know that when you turn around, I will always be behind you, right where you can see me as soon as you turn around.

This time, he not only had to shield her from the storms behind her, but also gently and slowly draw her out of her self-imposed shell.