Rain curtain
The July rain came unexpectedly.
When school was over, there were only a few drops of rain. As soon as Chen Yu walked out of the school gate with his schoolbag, raindrops as big as beans began to fall down, forming an impenetrable rain curtain in an instant.
He didn't bring an umbrella.
The surrounding students were either rushing out into the rain with umbrellas open or being picked up by their parents. The noise mixed with the sound of rain, exploding in his ears. Chen Yu subconsciously retreated under the eaves of the guardhouse, hugging his schoolbag tightly to his arms - it contained the newly distributed test papers, and he was afraid of getting wet.
The rain was getting heavier, splashing half a foot high on the ground, and the air was filled with the smell of damp earth. Chen Yu looked at the blurry gray at the end of the rain curtain, and his heart seemed to be soaked by the rain.
The old building he lived in wasn't very close to the school, a 40-minute walk. In such heavy rain, even if he ran back home, he would be soaked to the skin.
Just as he was hesitating whether to rush out into the rain, a half-worn black motorcycle squeaked to a stop on the roadside not far away. The body of the motorcycle was covered with mud spots, obviously having just been running in the rain.
The cyclist took off his helmet, shook off the water droplets on his head, revealing a face with a bit of ruffian spirit.
It’s Jiang Yizhou.
He wasn't wearing his school uniform today. He was wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled back and the collar open, his collarbone faintly visible under the wet fabric. Seeing Chen Yu standing under the eaves, he raised his eyebrows and moved his motorcycle over.
"Don't you have an umbrella?" Jiang Yizhou's voice came through the rain, a little muffled from being wet.
Chen Yu nodded without saying anything. He didn't expect to meet Jiang Yizhou here, and he didn't expect the other party to take the initiative to talk to him.
Jiang Yizhou turned off the engine, fished out a black windbreaker from under the seat, and threw it over. "Put it on."
Chen Yu reached out to take it. The jacket still smelled damp from the rain, and had a faint, almost Jiang Yizhou-like scent. "No, thank you," he handed it back. "I'll wait until the rain subsides before leaving."
"Wait until it's smaller?" Jiang Yizhou sneered, raising his hand and pointing to the sky. "This awful weather won't stop for two hours. Are you planning to stand here until dark?"
Chen Yu pursed his lips and said nothing. He knew Jiang Yizhou was right, but he couldn't wear someone else's clothes or even take their car.
Jiang Yizhou seemed to see through his thoughts. He stepped off the motorcycle with his long legs and walked up to him. Raindrops dripped down his hair, soaking his hoodie, but it didn't dilute the nonchalant look in his eyes. "Where's your home? If it's on the way, I'll give you a ride."
"Not on my way." Chen Yu replied almost immediately. He didn't want to owe Jiang Yizhou a favor, and he didn't want him to know what kind of shabby old building he lived in.
Jiang Yizhou raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any more questions. He simply shoved the jacket back into his arms. "Take it. You can't really get soaked." He paused, then added, "You don't have to return it. My mom bought too much, and it's just taking up space."
It was the same again. Using a light and flirtatious lie to conceal good intentions.
Chen Yu looked at the jacket in his arms. The black fabric was emblazoned with a small skull, perfectly fitting Jiang Yizhou's image as a "bad boy." He could feel the warmth lingering in the jacket, like a faint flame, burning his heart in this damp, rainy night.
"Thank you." This time, Shen Yu did not refuse.
Jiang Yizhou grinned, revealing two small canine teeth. The rain slid down his jawline, making him look indescribably lively. "Let's go." He turned and got on his motorcycle, put his helmet back on, and the engine started with a roar. He soon merged into the rain, leaving only a blurry black silhouette.
Chen Yu stood under the eaves, holding the jacket, staring at the direction where the motorcycle disappeared, stunned for a long time.
The rain was still falling, but it didn't seem as cold anymore.
He slowly put on his jacket. It was a little too big, and the sleeves were too long, hanging down over his hands. He rolled up the cuffs and smelled the faint scent of the fabric—not tobacco, nor sunshine, but a very clean scent, like grass after rain.
After an unknown amount of time, the rain showed no sign of abating, just as Jiang Yizhou had said. Chen Yu took a deep breath, zipped up his jacket, wrapped himself tightly, and rushed into the rain.
The cold rain hit his face, but he didn't feel cold. The loose jacket was like a warm shell, isolating him from the damp and cold world.
When running across an intersection, Shen Yu subconsciously looked back.
The rain was so thick that I couldn't see anything.
But he knew that something had quietly sprouted in his heart. Just like the land now being moistened by the rain, even if it had been silent for a long time, it would eventually welcome its own spring.
He glanced down at his jacket, the corners of his mouth curling up imperceptibly, then turned around and walked towards home, braving the rain. His steps were slow, but remarkably firm.
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