Before the rainy season
Before officially entering the sweltering heat of midsummer, City A in June always experiences a brief but sticky period of the rainy season. The air seems to have become a sponge soaked with moisture, pressing heavily on every corner, and even breathing carries a damp, lingering sense of heaviness.
For Lu Shixu, this kind of weather was more uncomfortable than the bitter cold of winter. The persistent low pressure and ubiquitous humidity, like invisible shackles, bound his limbs and bones, making the ever-present fatigue surge even more intensely. Staying awake became something that required even more effort to maintain.
Lin Zhiyi keenly noticed the change in his demeanor. He was leaning back in his chair for longer periods, sometimes just staring blankly at the gray sky outside the window, holding tools in his hand but not moving for a long time. That familiar, seemingly drained silence began to subtly envelop him again.
She wasn't as worried as she had been at the beginning, nor did she deliberately encourage or urge him. She simply stayed quietly by his side, like a gentle backdrop.
That afternoon, the heat was unbearable, and even the ticking of the clocks in the shop seemed slow and drawn out. Lu Shixu finally put down a small part he had been fiddling with for a long time with little progress, raised his hand and pressed hard on his temples, letting out a barely audible sigh. That sigh carried a heavy weariness and a sense of helplessness towards his uncontrollable body.
Lin Zhiyi was tidying the bookshelf when she heard the sound and turned around. She saw his listless appearance, almost as if he had become one with the damp weather. She put down the book she was holding, went to the back, and silently turned on the small dehumidifier.
The deep ticking sound joined the chorus of the clocks, trying to dispel the unpleasant stickiness in the air.
Next, she boiled a kettle of water, but didn't make tea. She took out some crisp-smelling mint leaves she had prepared earlier, sliced a few fresh lemons, and made a steaming cup of mint lemonade. The refreshing, slightly sour aroma instantly tore a crisp opening in the stuffy air.
She handed the cup to him.
"Will drinking this make you feel better?" Her voice was very soft, as if she didn't want to disturb his difficult battle against exhaustion.
Lu Shixu lifted his heavy eyelids and looked at the clear, slightly yellow liquid in the glass. The rising steam carried a refreshing minty scent that hit his nose. He took the glass, feeling the perfect warmth on his fingertips.
He took a slow sip. The slightly sour lemon mixed with the crispness of mint slid down his throat like a clear stream, briefly washing away some of the sluggishness and drowsiness that had been lingering in his body.
"Hmm," he responded softly, which was his reply. Although he didn't explicitly say whether he felt any better, his tightly furrowed brows seemed to relax by a millimeter.
Lin Zhiyi didn't press him for details. She simply pulled up a stool, sat down beside him, picked up a palm-leaf fan, and gently fanned him. The breeze was soft, carrying her faint, reassuring scent, as it brushed against his slightly damp forehead and neck.
She didn't speak, and neither did he.
The only sounds in the shop were the regular hum of the dehumidifier, the ticking of the clock, and the soft rustling of the fan.
In this tranquil companionship of complete acceptance, the anxiety and self-loathing that had arisen in Lu Shixu's heart due to his physical discomfort seemed to be gradually dissipated by the gentle breeze. He closed his eyes, feeling the cool breeze caress his skin, and sensing the silent yet steadfast presence of the person beside him.
The heaviness in my body still felt real, and the stickiness of the rainy season hadn't gone away.
But at this moment, his heart strangely calmed down.
He suddenly remembered what Lin Zhiyi had said—that they were "time zones in sync".
So, the eve of this unpleasant rainy season is probably a "special time zone" in his time system that requires slow operation and patient waiting for the weather to clear.
Fortunately, he was not traveling alone in this time zone.
He opened his eyes again and looked at Lin Zhiyi, who was quietly fanning him beside him. Her profile looked particularly soft in the dim light.
He reached out and gently placed his hand on the back of her hand as she fanned herself.
Lin Zhiyi paused slightly in her fanning motion and looked at him.
"Take a break if you're tired," he said softly, his voice still carrying fatigue, but with a gentle warmth that had settled in.
Lin Zhiyi smiled, put down the palm-leaf fan, and took his hand in return: "Okay."
Outside the window, the sky remained overcast, and the air was thick with dampness.
Inside the window, the dehumidifier was working hard, and the aroma of mint lemonade was faint.
Holding hands, they quietly waited together for the next sunny day in this imperfect, dreary weather.
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