Lin Wanqing held up her phone, pointing it at the scene. In the video, Zhong Hua was slightly hunched over, his fingers clumsily untying his knotted shoelaces. A Yu's foot dangled in mid-air, her toes curling slightly, as if she were a little embarrassed. The rain was still pattering against the windowpane, and the microwave in the convenience store beeped, mingling with the scanning sounds at the cashier, creating a strangely warm atmosphere.
"Mr. Zhong, your service is just too good!" Lin Wanqing paused the video. "I declare you the best employee of the day."
As Zhong Hua stood up, the back of his shirt was pulled tighter, revealing the curve of his waist. He didn't reply, but simply picked up A Yu's wet shoes and placed them by the shoe dryer near the door. "They'll be half-dry while we wait for the car."
When the bus arrived, the rain showed no signs of letting up. Zhong Hua first pushed Lin Wanqing through the back door, then turned around and helped Ayu board through the front door. While inserting the coins, Ayu realized his wallet was in his camera bag, which Zhong Hua had tied too tightly, making it difficult to retrieve. Zhong Hua had already inserted two coins for him; the crisp metallic clang, mixed with the dampness of the rain, was particularly clear in his ears.
The carriage wasn't crowded, so they sat down in the back by the window. Ayu sat by the window, able to see the windshield wipers swaying back and forth on the glass, blurring the street scene outside into patches of color. Zhong Hua sat in the middle, while Lin Wanqing sat by the aisle, still reviewing the videos she had just taken, occasionally letting out a laugh.
"Look here." Lin Wanqing handed the phone to Ayu. "When Engineer Zhong was adjusting your bag strap, the water droplets from the umbrella edge on his shoulder looked like stars."
The video was in slow motion, clearly showing the edge of the floral umbrella dangling over Zhong Hua's shoulder. Water droplets rolled down the umbrella ribs, splashing small water droplets on his shirt shoulder before trickling down the fabric and forming thin streams. Zhong Hua's profile appeared particularly soft in the overcast, rainy light. He slowly adjusted his bag strap, his thumb repeatedly rubbing against A Yu's wrist, as if checking if the strap was tight.
Ayu's fingertips unconsciously touched his shoulder, where the warmth of the black umbrella still lingered. He turned to look at Zhong Hua, who was gazing out the window. Rainwater trickled down the glass, casting flowing shadows on his face. His soaked shirt was half-dry, leaving watermarks of varying shades, like an abstract painting.
“Mr. Zhong,” Lin Wanqing suddenly spoke up, “did you get a scrape on your back? It looks like you bumped into the counter at the bank just now.”
Zhong Hua touched his back, his fingertips touching a few red marks. "It's nothing, just a minor injury."
"How can it be a minor injury?" Lin Wanqing rummaged through her bag and pulled out a band-aid. "I have waterproof ones here, you can put this on."
Just as Zhong Hua was about to refuse, the bus suddenly braked sharply. Ayu's camera bag slid forward, and as Zhong Hua reached out to grab it, his lower back bumped against the back of the seat in front of him. He groaned, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Put it on quickly." Ayu took the band-aid from Lin Wanqing and handed it to Zhong Hua. "Don't let it get infected."
Zhong Hua hesitated for a moment, but still took it. As he turned to apply the band-aid to the reflective surface of the car window, Ayu noticed that the skin on the back of his neck was red, a mark from being soaked in rain for a long time. The ribs of the floral umbrella had dug into his lower back, leaving a shallow mark that overlapped with the edge of the band-aid.
When the car arrived at the station, the rain finally subsided a bit. They parted ways at the entrance of the residential area. Lin Wanqing was going to the supermarket to buy some things, but Zhong Hua insisted on taking Ayu home first. "Your camera is susceptible to moisture damage, so go home and clean it up as soon as possible," he said, still carrying Ayu's wet shoes in his hand. Water dripped from the shoes down the plastic bag, forming small puddles on the steps.
There were only the two of them in the elevator, the space so small they could hear each other breathing. Ayu stared at the changing floor numbers, smelling the faint scent of rain on Zhong Hua, mixed with the aroma of convenience store bread, which gave her a strange sense of peace. His slippers were a little big, and his heels would rub against the soles as he walked, making a slight sound.
"We're here." Zhong Hua stopped on the seventh floor and handed the wet shoes to A Yu. "Hurry up and change into some dry clothes, or you'll catch a cold."
As Ayu took the shoes, her fingertips touched Zhong Hua's palm. His hand was still cold, but his fingertips were warm, like the warm breeze from the convenience store earlier. "Thank you for today." Ayu stepped aside to let him in. "Would you like to come in and have a cup of hot water?"
Zhong Hua glanced at his watch and shook his head: "No, I have to go back and look at the blueprints." As he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something, took out the deformed floral umbrella from his toolbox, and said, "You can keep this. You have glue, so you might be better at fixing it than I am."
Ayu took the umbrella. The metal ribs were still bristling at the broken edges, and the roses on the umbrella were mostly covered in mud and water, but their vibrant patterns were still visible. "Let me try." He held the cold umbrella ribs and suddenly noticed that Zhong Hua's cuffs were still dripping water, which dripped onto the smooth tiles like a string of silent tears.
"Then I'll be going now." Zhong Hua's finger hovered over the elevator button for a moment, but he finally pressed the down button.
Ayu stood at the door watching the elevator doors close until the number changed to 1 before turning and going inside. He placed the camera bag on the table, and as he untied the strap, he noticed that Zhong Hua had tied the knot tightly and beautifully, like a seasoned knot-tyer. The camera inside was dry and clean, with only a few drops of water on the bottom, shaped like a small heart.
After packing up his camera, Ayu sat on a small stool on the balcony repairing the floral umbrella. The typhoon had passed, and a faint glow of sunset shone through the sky, turning the rain clouds golden red. He carefully glued the broken umbrella ribs back together, then found a soft cloth, dipped it in soapy water, and wiped the umbrella surface until the rose petals regained their bright pink and white color.
When the repaired umbrella was opened, it was still a little crooked, but it stood there steadily. Ayu leaned it against the balcony railing, and the setting sun cast dappled light on the ground through the petal-shaped cutouts. A breeze blew from afar, carrying the fresh air after the rain, and the umbrella swayed gently, causing the dappled light to flicker like stars fallen to the ground.
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