Umbrella in the rain
The plane broke through the dark clouds and found that it was a clear night.
Night flights are always exceptionally quiet. Tired travelers take a nap with their eyes half closed, and when they wake up, they find themselves in another city.
The cabin lights were dimmed, Xia Zhiheng pulled up the sunshade and looked out the window.
Accustomed to the dim light, he saw the sky full of stars.
He gently rested his forehead against the window and stared at the starry sky for a long time.
The stars are brilliant, yet out of reach.
Through the starlight, he seemed to see the little girl holding the red umbrella again.
To describe little Zhang Jusong with words like "she was so beautiful when she was a child" is really modest.
When she was twelve years old, she once made a cameo appearance in a period film. Her appearance time was less than ten minutes, but it was unforgettable. So much so that years later, a video website still had that scene in a mashup video of a girl in the "Amazing Time" with over a million hits.
The little girl was dressed in cloth and was crying while hugging her knees. When she heard someone calling her, she raised her head in a daze. There were still tears on her tender face, but a smile slowly blossomed.
That should be the most beautiful moment of Zhang Jusong in many people's minds. For Xia Zhiheng, this can also be ranked as the third moment about her.
But that heart-pounding smile was actually because the assistant director was standing behind the photographer with an ice cream in his hand. When little Zhang Jusong secretly told him this secret, he was overjoyed.
After such a long time, he still remembered it - things about her were always unforgettable. The afternoon sun shone through the tall glass windows, and little Zhang Jusong sat in the golden sunlight, her little leather shoes kicking and her skirt swaying.
"That ice cream is delicious, it's orange flavored. I'll treat you next time."
He was about to ask, when is the next time? Outside the house, the girls called her in unison.
"Little Orange, come out and play."
Little Zhang Jusong jumped down from the windowsill, touched his hair, and said with a smile: "My classmate is here to see me, bye."
Amid laughter, the girls surrounded her and left, leaving Xiao Xia Zhiheng with only her back.
It’s always like this, what I remember most is her back.
Being beautiful is just one of her many advantages. Zhang Jusong is simply the textbook version of "other people's child". She is a three-good student every year and a frequent speaker under the national flag.
Unfortunately, he was two grades younger than her. When she was in elementary school, she was in junior high school. When he was in junior high school, she was in high school. The two of them were like being at the other end of the Milky Way, so far away that they were out of reach.
In fact, Xia Zhiheng himself couldn't explain what kind of feelings he had for her. He was too young to tell. He said he liked her very much, but in fact he didn't, because he didn't think about her all the time like in romance novels.
Only on extremely clear nights, on his way home from evening self-study, would he look up and see a star above his head and would occasionally think of her.
Most of the news about Zhang Jusong came from other people. She was a well-known figure on campus, so it was not surprising that people talked about her.
At first there were mostly good news, but gradually, there were more and more rumors.
Some bored boys like to rank the girls in school and comment on them one by one. Xia Zhiheng usually doesn't even look at this group of people, but that time he stopped because he heard the three words "Zhang Jusong".
"That Zhang Jusong has become more and more ugly. No wonder our school beauty changed last year."
"Not only is she getting uglier and uglier, but I heard her grades are also getting worse. She used to be number one, and I heard her teacher even thought she could compete for the provincial top spot, but somehow she almost didn't even make the grade line for University A."
"Humph, it just blooms for a short time. You were so arrogant before, but now you beg me to sleep with you and I won't even sleep with you."
The boys exchanged a subtle look and smiled knowingly.
But the next second, the laughter stopped abruptly——
Xia Zhiheng's fist, with the wind, hit the face of the person who had just teased Zhang Jusong hard.
The man who was beaten and his friend were stunned for a moment, because the punch came from a typical good student in the grade.
By the time they reacted, it turned into a melee.
That was Xia Zhiheng's first and only time fighting in school.
It was one against three, and I didn't gain any advantage, but I didn't let those guys have an easy time either.
The incident was brought to the teacher and caused a huge uproar.
The talkative person naturally didn't want to tell the whole story, but just insisted that he was just chatting casually and that Xia Zhiheng was crazy.
The teacher asked Xia Zhiheng: "Why did you hit someone first? That's not right."
Xia Zhiheng stood there expressionless, not saying a word.
In the end, I almost got a warning. Fortunately, the competition results were released in time, and the teacher and the head of the grade pressed the issue, making a big deal out of a small one.
Life went on as usual after that, except that Xia Zhiheng had a new item on his schedule: going to a martial arts gym to learn martial arts.
Attending classes, taking exams, and writing papers, two summers have passed in a flash.
The summer of reunion that I have longed for.
Even elementary school textbooks say: Summer is charming, and everything matures in summer. [1]
When they met again, it was strange, but she just stood there quietly, without saying anything or doing anything, and it was enough to make him jump for joy.
A vague dream suddenly came true, like a pale yellow Michelia meeting the sunlight.
At that moment, all the words he had prepared countless times were completely ineffective, and he ran towards her uncontrollably.
However, her slightly frightened look made him stop.
Xia Zhiheng had a premonition that if he dared to get any closer, Zhang Jusong would probably turn over and ride away on his bike.
Don't be in a hurry, take your time, he told himself.
She had grown up and changed a lot, just like him.
But when Zhang Jusong said in a loud voice, "I don't cause trouble, but I'm not afraid of trouble. Apologize!", Xia Zhiheng understood that some things have not changed.
It’s great that in the passing of time, there are still some things that remain unchanged.
I am happy but also sad.
Xia Zhiheng put his fingers on the airplane window, tracing the outline of the Milky Way, and sighed softly.
It seemed as if his star didn't believe that it could shine.
***
In summer, there is a lot of rain.
Zhang Jusong bought a new umbrella online, it’s a bright red color.
Even though she is a college student, when walking in the rain, she still can't help but gently turn the umbrella handle to watch the raindrops slide off the tip of the umbrella.
A quiet and secret joy.
The last exam of the final semester, the joy overwhelmed the anxiety. After all, in two hours, summer vacation will begin. The last exam in the morning, the high-speed rail ticket to go home is booked on the last train in the afternoon. If nothing unexpected happens, I will arrive home late at night.
Before entering the examination room, Zhang Jusong placed the umbrella against the wall.
On rainy days, wet umbrellas need to be placed separately, and usually everyone will pile them up against the wall, in rows and rows. This exam is a public subject, and there are many people, so the largest lecture hall was requisitioned as the exam room. There are many people, many umbrellas, and they are crowded together, forming an army of umbrellas.
The final exam bell rang, the invigilator collected the papers, counted the number of test papers and nodded to let everyone go.
The students rushed out.
Zhang Jusong didn't like the feeling of being in a crowd, so he just sat there and slowly packed his things. He waited until most people had left before he slowly walked out.
The army of umbrellas outside had been scattered and there was nothing left. She took a quick look and her face darkened.
Of the remaining umbrellas, none was red.
She picked up her umbrella and looked carefully, but still couldn't find her red umbrella.
It seems like someone took it away.
The sky was gloomy and the rain was dripping non-stop.
Zhang Jusong stood under the eaves of the teaching building, looking at the rain angrily.
Students like her who study alone, have few friends and don't want to bother others, have to carry an umbrella in their bags at all times to feel safe. Because once it rains, no one will give you an umbrella, so you either have to wait for the rain to stop or go back in the rain.
You can be angry, but don’t be angry for too long. After all, the high-speed rail doesn’t wait for anyone.
Looking at the rain that showed no sign of stopping, Zhang Jusong pursed his lips, hugged his schoolbag in his arms, and rushed into the rain.
He ran with his head down, looking only at the road.
The tip of the shoe skimmed across the flooded road, creating a string of tiny water droplets.
Amid the sound of wind and rain, it seemed like someone was calling her name.
Did I hear it wrong?
She stopped in wonder, but before she could react, a large umbrella was firmly covering her head, instantly blocking the rain.
Lowering her eyes, she saw the person holding the umbrella clearly.
It turned out to be Xia Zhiheng.
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